The Milwaukee Bucks captured the 2024 NBA Cup with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led the charge with 26 points, 19 rebounds and ten assists, a triple-double performance earning him NBA Cup MVP honors.
“It is the best feeling ever, just winning, winning feels good,” Antetokounmpo said. “Playing big games feels good. When you are able to come to the game and execute your game plan and the outcome is exactly what you want it to be. We had this goal as a team, and we accomplished it.”
The Bucks seized control with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Thunder 26-14, turning a narrow halftime lead into a substantial margin. Milwaukee executed a balanced game plan, including 23 points from starting guard Damian Lillard and a strong defensive presence from center Brook Lopez, adding 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Thunder, having the No. 1 ranked offense this season, made their presence felt early. Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 21 points, supported by forwards Jalen Williams’ 18 and Isaiah Hartenstein’s 16.
Oklahoma City outscored the Bucks in the paint 34-28 and showed flashes of offensive prowess as they kept pace through much of the first half.
The game opened with a back-and-forth first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander and Hartenstein combined for 20 points to help the Thunder edge the Bucks 28-27 after the opening frame. However, Milwaukee responded with intense perimeter shooting and defensive rotations in the second quarter, holding the Thunder to 22 points.
Thunder blunders in 2024 NBA Cup Finals
Lillard found his rhythm in the second half. His back-to-back three-pointers midway through the third frame extended Milwaukee’s lead to double digits, going on a 12-2 run in the process. The Bucks capitalized on Oklahoma City’s offensive mishaps, holding the Thunder to 33.7% shooting for the game and just 15.6% from the perimeter.
Following the contest, Gilgeous-Alexander did not absolve the team’s subpar shooting.
“We didn’t shoot it well tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That is never an excuse; that is something controllable that we could have taken care of. We have shot bad before and won games before, so that is not an excuse.”
Thunder guard Cason Wallace added five points and provided crucial defensive stops off the bench, while forward Kenrich Williams chipped in with convenient three-pointers during a late-game push.
Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daignault said the NBA Cup feels like something other than the playoffs.
“It is closer to an elevated regular season than the playoffs,” Daignault said. “The time of year has to do with that, the nature of a series versus a one-and-done situation has to do with that.”
Daignault said the NBA Cup is a “good experience” for the Thunder.
Lillard said he was glad everyone took the NBA Cup more seriously this season.
“I feel happy,” Lillard said. “Being in something like this in its second year, I think teams cared a little more about it. Teams played with more pride, trying to reach Vegas with an opportunity to win.”
The Bucks, NBA Cup and beyond
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said the win serves as a reminder.
“I think it reminds us that we can beat anybody. We don’t care if it tells everybody else that. We only care about us,” Rivers said. “We can also lose to anybody if we don’t play right. We learned that early (in the season); it helps the message. It is a teacher for us. There are different ways to win.”
Antetokounmpo believes there are more championships to come.
“I am happy for Dame (Lillard),” Antetokounmpo said the 2024 NBA Cup win. “We got our first trophy together, and this is just the beginning,”
Contact multi-media & senior sports reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more sports, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
