Nigerian Born Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a commanding triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks secured a 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder to claim the NBA Cup title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The mid-season tournament, introduced last year, saw the Bucks become its second-ever champions. Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP, tallied 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, earning him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
Damian Lillard contributed 23 points to the Bucks’ win, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points but struggled with an eight-for-24 shooting night.
Milwaukee held a narrow 51-50 lead at halftime and expanded it to 77-64 by the end of the third quarter. Brook Lopez sealed the victory in the final period, sinking consecutive three-pointers to extend the lead to 86-66.
“I’m so proud of the group,” said Antetokounmpo. “Everybody was extremely locked in. We came in focused, played great basketball, and achieved our goal as a team.”
The win marked a significant turnaround for the 2021 NBA champions, who had opened the season with a disappointing 2-8 record. Since then, they have won 13 of their last 16 games, improving to a 14-11 record and climbing to fifth in the Eastern Conference.
“I wouldn’t say it completely erases [the poor start] because we can’t get those games back,” said Lillard. “But we’ve shown that the team we were at the start of the season isn’t who we are now, and it was never who we truly were.”
Despite the loss, the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder, who currently lead the Western Conference with a 20-5 record, gained valuable experience. Jalen Williams, who contributed 18 points, noted the tournament’s unique intensity.
“It’s rare to have a feeling like this where it feels like the playoffs,” Williams said. “It’s a good opportunity, especially for us being as young as we are, to simulate a playoff environment in a different city. It’s definitely good practice.”
The NBA Cup semifinals and final are standalone games, while all other tournament fixtures count toward regular-season standings.
