LAS VEGAS The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 110-102 on Saturday to progress to the NBA Cup finals.
A few hours later, the Bucks will play in the championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the Houston Rockets 111-96.
The Eastern Conference clubs faced battle first in the back-to-back semifinals held in Las Vegas.
Damian Lillard contributed 25 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. A game prior to the final, the Indiana Pacers defeated Milwaukee, retaliating for their defeat in the previous year’s semifinals.
Regarding his team’s strategy for the Cup, coach Doc Rivers stated, “Accept the challenge, that’s all I’ve been talking about.” We discussed how we tend to shy away from obstacles, so let’s accept that. Let’s make our name known. We will make an effort to win it; if we are unsuccessful, we will not be able to win it. However, there is nothing wrong with stating your desire to win something; if you succeed, fantastic; if not, at least you made an effort.
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The game on Saturday was a back-and-forth match between two of the East’s most competitive teams. The Hawks had won seven of their previous eight games going into the matchup, while Milwaukee had won ten of its previous thirteen.
When facing the East’s top teams, the Hawks have also proved formidable. They are 1-1 versus the reigning champion Boston Celtics and 4-0 against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
During the first three quarters, the teams switched leads. The Hawks were ahead one before the fourth, Atlanta was ahead two after the first, and the Bucks were ahead six at the half.
But in the closing minutes, Milwaukee was the superior squad. With four minutes and thirty-two seconds remaining, a free throw by De’Andre Hunter put the Bucks ahead 98-96. Milwaukee then went on a 12-6 run, particularly to tighten their defense.
Antetokounmpo’s block of a lob ball that would have reduced his team’s advantage to three was the night’s standout performance.
For the Bucks, the three-point line also had a significant impact. Atlanta enjoyed an advantage in free throws, but the two teams were tied in points in the paint and turnovers. However, Milwaukee made four more three-pointers and tried 21 more than the Hawks in their narrow victory of eight points.
After the game, Lillard remarked, “The last time we were prepared, but this time we went into it remembering our last experience.” We were right. We were aware that playing against a strong side would not be simple, but we were ready, and it seemed natural. didn’t feel like something new or strange.
The Bucks, who began the season 4-9, including a six-game losing streak after winning their opening game, have made a strong comeback with the Cup championship berth. Rivers stated that he anticipated the current improvement from his team, which is heavily reliant on veterans.
Listen, I believe that many people outside of Milwaukee were wondering, “What’s going on?” “Rivers said.” I doubt that anyone inside had that thought. I should emphasize that we assumed that it is now, but we still have a long way to go. We simply thought that it would click and that it would happen.
In contrast, the Thunder finally distanced themselves from the Rockets in a match that, for a while, reminded everyone of the low-scoring rock battles of the 2000s.
For the first half of the game, Houston’s and Oklahoma City’s top two defenses shut each other up. In the first twenty-four minutes, the teams scored a total of just 83 points.
The Thunder outscored the Rockets 70-54 after regaining their footing in the second half. The game’s top scorer was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a contender for MVP. In addition to his 32 points, he pulled down eight rebounds and six assists.
After the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault remarked, “I thought our force on offense in the second half was much better.” In the early going of the game, we sort of depended on jump shots. Although we improved slightly in the second quarter, depending solely on jump shots means you’re depending on the shot with the greatest fluctuation in the game, and I don’t think we tested the paint and transition enough.
Conversely, Houston’s offense was well-balanced but ultimately unsuccessful. No Rockets player scored more than 20, but six scored in double figures.
Houston’s shooting was terrible from all over the court; they only made 36.5% of their field goals, 23.9% of their three-pointers, and 60% of their free-throw attempts.
With outstanding individual play from each of their players, the Thunder were able to overcome their shooting difficulties. Center Isaiah Hartenstein capitalized on the focus on perimeter players to score 21 points of his own after Jalen Williams scored 20.
Despite missing out on the NBA Cup games in Las Vegas the previous season, Oklahoma City has shown itself to be a serious danger in the West for the second consecutive year. The Thunder are leading the West this season after finishing as the conference’s top seed the previous season.
The first meeting between Oklahoma City and Milwaukee this season will take place on Tuesday. It’s also possible that the Cup championship will serve as a prelude for the Finals.
According to Daigneault, the NBA is a competitive league. The boys are therefore going to be excited when you stake anything. Both clubs will bring their fastballs on Tuesday, and I believe you have seen that from every team during the entire Cup.
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