Last season, the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the semifinals of the NBA’s inaugural regular-season tournament by the Indiana Pacers. This year they went to Las Vegas and return to Wisconsin as champions.
The Bucks won the second ever NBA regular season tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 at T-Mobile Arena in Nevada.
Led by superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Bucks celebrated on the field as two Emirates Airlines flight attendants wheeled the trophy out on a cart. As children from a local YMCA handed out medals to the stars of the championship team, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver invited the team to hoist the trophy.
Antetokounmpo lifted the ball high as confetti rained down on his teammates to celebrate their achievement. For his efforts in the victory – scoring a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and ten assists – Giannis was named the tournament’s MVP.
It is the second team trophy Antetokounmpo has lifted after winning the 2021 NBA Finals. It is also the fourth time the Greek-Nigerian player has been named MVP of something: twice the league MVP, once the MVP of the NBA Finals and now the MVP of the NBA Cup.
Celebrations were muted by choice. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told NBA insider Chris Haynes that after talking with Darvin Ham, who won the NBA Cup with the Lakers last year, they decided champagne would be eschewed in favor of beer so the team could focus on the rest of the season. the season.’
Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates after the Milwaukee Bucks won the Emirates NBA Cup
Antentokounmpo hugs Damian Lillard after beating the Thunder in the NBA Cup Finals
Antetokounmpo celebrates with his teammates after winning the Emirates NBA Cup title
It is also the first team trophy in the long and successful career of Antetokounmpo’s opponent, point guard Damian Lillard.
Lillard complimented Antetokounmpo’s dominance in the post with a 23-point, four-rebound, four-assist performance highlighted by his 5-for-10 shooting from three-point range.
Antetokounmpo praised Lillard when interviewed by ESPN’s Malika Andrews: “This guy is one of the best players I’ve ever played with. Top 75, his CV speaks for itself… Neither of us felt 100 percent, but we grind, we grind.
“We knew we had to do our job, we knew our team needed us. And man, when I need this man, he’s always there for me, when he needs me, I’m always there for him.
“We have to continue to lead this team, we have to continue to set the table for others and make others better. Because in the end we will be great, me and him. I’m so proud of him. Our chemistry is at the best it has ever been and will continue to get better over time.”
After the entire ceremony, Giannis was heard walking to the locker room and saying, “We’re here now. The job is done. The job is done.’
The Bucks players all received a healthy financial incentive for winning this trophy: $515,000 each.
Once the Bucks reached the locker room, Giannis celebrated their windfall by dancing while shouting, “Everyone got $500,000, right?”
Bucks point guard Damian Lillard lifts the NBA Cup trophy after beating Oklahoma City
Antetokounmpo dances in the locker room with teammates to celebrate their victory
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points, but shot just 8-of-24 from the field, including 2 of 9 from 3-point range. Jalen Williams added 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 16 points.
Lillard gave the Bucks an 11-point lead by draining one of his signature long-range 3-pointers with 9:08 left in the third quarter. The bucket came on the heels of back-to-back technical fouls on Thunder forward Luguentz Dort and coach Mike Daigneault, leading to two free throws that sank Lillard.
Milwaukee held a 77-64 lead until the fourth quarter.
Antetokounmpo scored 14 points in the first half and Lillard scored 12 as Milwaukee led 51-50 at halftime. Hartenstein led the Thunder with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the half, despite earning a technical foul after colliding with Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr.. Neither team was able to keep the lead expanding to more than five points in the second half. second quarter as the Bucks defeated the Thunder 24-22.
The Thunder opened the game on a 16-9 run, forcing the Bucks to call a timeout after 4 1/2 minutes. Lillard promptly answered, scoring seven of Milwaukee’s Bucks point as they went on a 13-4 run and took their first lead with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter.
Oklahoma City had a 28-27 lead entering the second, partly because of a go-ahead 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander with 1:22 left in the quarter.
Milwaukee made 34 of its 81 attempts (42 percent) from the field for the game and shot 17 of 40 (42.5 percent) from three-point range. The Bucks defeated Oklahoma City 52-43 and led by as many as 20 points in the second half.
The Thunder shot 29 of 86 (33.7 percent) from the field and made just 5 of 32 attempts (15.6 percent) from long range.