LAS VEGAS – In Las Vegas, everyone has a lucky number. For Milwaukee Bucksit was 3.
And the NBA Cup was their reward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, added 19 rebounds and 10 assists, Damian Lillard added 23 points and the Bucks made 17 three-pointers and were on their way to defeat Thunder in Oklahoma Tuesday night in the NBA Cup title game, 97-81.
Brook Lopez AND Gary Trent Jr. each scored 13 for the Bucks, who joined the team Los Angeles Lakers as the sole champions of the biennial event. Milwaukee’s 19-5 run in the second half turned a five-point lead into a 19-point advantage early in the fourth half, and the Bucks maintained control for the rest of the game.
“It’s great, it’s great for our team,” Antetokounmpo said. “We are getting better. … We know we’re leaving Vegas a better team. I’m very proud of this group. Man, I’m so proud of this group.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 and Jalen Williams added 18 points for the Thunder, who have scored at least 99 points in every game this season. But they fell short in more ways than one on Tuesday, going 51-15 from beyond the arc and shooting just 34% from the floor.
Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which had 31 points at halftime.
“We did some good things. We outplayed them on the field, so obviously we did our job defensively,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But obviously it was a tough night for us offensively throughout the game. We didn’t score enough points, especially in the second half, to give ourselves a chance to win. But we can learn from this and move forward.”
This is a game that only matters for tournament purposes. Bucks players received about $300,000 in additional bonuses – they each received $514,971, while Thunder players each received $205,988 – but wins, losses and game statistics will not count towards the regular season.
After starting 2-8, the Bucks, mired in the NBA’s doldrums, have been in a tough spot ever since. It was their 13th win in the last 16 games, although it will not be part of the official record.
No matter: When the Bucks emptied the bench with 1:37 left, Antetokounmpo clenched his fists like it was a moment of true mastery.
He won bigger games – after all, he and the Bucks won the 2021 NBA title. But they’ve said from the beginning of this tournament that an NBA Cup championship is the priority.
And in the end, they left no doubts.
“We struggled out of the gate,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Nobody here doubted who we could be and who we could be, and we just hung in there. We stuck together and that’s a byproduct of the band sticking together. But we still have work to do.”
Antetokounmpo was even more succinct: “The job wasn’t done,” he said.
His point was clear: there is another title to fight for. But it was still a moment to celebrate the trophy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
