Giannis shines as Bucks triumph over Thunder to claim NBA cup victory

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a commanding 97-81 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

The two-time MVP delivered an exceptional triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, adding two steals and three blocks to secure the team’s unbeaten run in the tournament.

The Bucks, who nailed 17 three-pointers, showcased their defensive strength by holding the Thunder to just 31 points in the second half. Damian Lillard contributed 23 points, further solidifying the team’s dominance.

“That’s who we are,” Antetokounmpo said, reflecting on the Bucks’ ability to transform a narrow halftime lead into a 20-point advantage.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points but struggled to find his rhythm, hitting just eight of 24 attempts and two of nine from beyond the arc.

This victory marks a redemption for the Bucks, who were eliminated in last year’s NBA Cup semi-finals by the Indiana Pacers. They returned to the final four this year with wins over the Orlando Magic in the quarter-finals and the Atlanta Hawks in the semis.

The NBA Cup triumph also highlights Milwaukee’s dramatic turnaround from a 2-8 season start. Now, with 13 wins in their last 16 games, Antetokounmpo views this success as just the beginning, as the Bucks set their sights on greater achievements.

“It’s great for our team,” said Antetokounmpo, who was named MVP of the tournament. “The last 15 games we’ve played, we’ve competed. We’ve played team basketball.

“I’m so proud of this group,” he added. “Coming out of halftime we know we have 24 minutes to go, we came out in the third quarter, we set the tone. We played great team basketball.”

– ‘Not done’ –

The Bucks held the Thunder to just 14 points in the third quarter — their lowest points total in a period this season.

“Most importantly we are competing defensively,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s who we are. That’s who we’re going to continue to be — and the job’s not done.”

Unlike the rest of the Cup matches, the final doesn’t count toward the regular-season record, nor do the players’ performances count in their career stats.

But the trophy does come with a financial reward with each player on the winning team set to pocket more than $514,971 — a significant chunk of money for the younger players and lesser lights on the team.

Thunder players will take home $205,988 apiece for the runner-up finish. But they’ll head back to Oklahoma City disappointed with one of their worst shooting performances of the season.

The Western Conference leaders — who went 3-1 in group play before beating Dallas in the quarter-finals and Houston in the semis — connected on just 33.7 percent of their shots from the field and made just five of 32 — 15.6 percent — from three-point range.

They had emerged from a fast-paced first quarter with a 28-27 lead.

The nip-and-tuck continued in the second quarter and the tension was evident when Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr and Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Hartenstein received matching technicals after a heated exchange.

After a first half that featured nine lead changes the Bucks led 51-50, but Milwaukee opened the third with back-to-back three-pointers from Taurean Prince and Lillard and began to roll.