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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) yells while lifting up the NBA Cup after his team's victory in the championship game of the NBA Cup basketball tournament against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule).
Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied a triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists and the Milwaukee Bucks made 17 3-pointers in a 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night to win the NBA Cup.
Damian Lillard had 23 points with five 3-pointers and Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each added 13 points for the Bucks, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers as the only champions of the 2-year-old event.
A 19-5 Milwaukee run in the second half turned what was a five-point game into a 19-point lead early in the fourth, and the Bucks kept control the rest of the way.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder, who had scored at least 99 points in every game this season. But they were outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc and shot just 34 percent from the field.
It’s a game that only counted for tournament purposes. There was about $300,000 in additional bonus money for Bucks players - they got $514,971 apiece, while the Thunder players got $205,988 each - but the win, the loss and the statistics from the game won’t count toward the regular season.
Mired toward the bottom of the NBA after a 2-8 start, the Bucks have been on a tear since. This was their 13th win in their last 16 games, even though it won't be part of the official record.
