The Milwaukee Bucks have crowned themselves champions of the 2024 NBA Cup with a commanding 97-81 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo shone with a triple-double and led his team to the title, which was awarded for the second time in the history of the tournament.
The NBA Cup final in Las Vegas started on an even footing. Both teams gave each other nothing in the first half, and the Bucks went into the break with a narrow 51-50 lead. Isaiah Hartenstein of the Thunder put in a strong performance with 14 points by then and was tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the top scorer on the court.
But after half-time, the Milwaukee Bucks stepped up. A decisive 19-5 run in the third quarter put them in a commanding position, which they held on to until the end. While the Thunder only scored 31 points in the second half, Milwaukee retained control and went on to win comfortably, 97-81.
Giannis excels with triple-double
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the MVP of the tournament, put in a strong performance: 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists were on the board for the “Greek Freak” at the end. Damian Lillard supported him with 23 points, while Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each contributed 13 points.
On the OKC side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (21 points) and Jalen Williams (18 points) were the most noticeable players. Isaiah Hartenstein, the German center, also impressed with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Nevertheless, the Thunder’s three-point field goal percentage was a major problem: they scored only 15 points from beyond the arc, while Milwaukee shone with 17 successful long-range shots.
Undefeated to triumph
With this victory, the Bucks became the second champion in the young history of the NBA Cup after the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the games do not count towards the regular season, the Bucks made a statement and showed that they are back in top form after a weak start to the season (2-8).
The Bucks players not only received the trophy, but also a check for $514,971 per player – the reward for the team that remained undefeated throughout the entire tournament.
