The Milwaukee Bucks turned around and destroyed the Thunder in the NBA Cup final
This content is taken from an article by Lucas Kirchner for The Lead, translated into Italian by Marco Barone for Around the Game.
Milwaukee is celebrating after an impressive NBA Cup win against the top team in the Western Conference.
The Bucks have won 13 of their last 16 games, with an undefeated Cup run in between. Milwaukee didn’t just turn their season around, they sent a signal to the rest of the league.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 20-5. As one of the best teams in the league, it is no surprise that they played in the final. However, it is surprising that the team that started with 2-8 beat them by 16 points.
The Milwaukee Aces in Las Vegas
With Khris Middleton sitting out due to illness, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were called upon to lead the Bucks to a comfortable victory. The two scored 49 points overall, making themselves candidates for the title of best duo in the NBA.
Giannis was on fire Tuesday night, with 19 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and three blocks in addition to his 26 points. It was his fourth triple-double of the season and another MVP-worthy performance.
Milwaukee’s bench also proved to be up to the task, with AJ Green adding 9 points and Gary Trent Jr. scoring 13. Bobby Portis also contributed to the victory.
Lillard led Milwaukee’s barrage of 3-pointers, hitting five from long range. He commented on the team’s performance post-match as follows:
We defended. We played well from the beginning of the game until the end,” Lillard said. “I think it was a demonstration of what we have built
The Thunder’s misstep
The Thunder trailed by one point at halftime, thanks to a competitive first half led by Isaiah Hartenstein and Jalen Williams. The two finished the game with 32 points between them, breathing some life into a team that couldn’t find its rhythm on offense.
MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 21 points on 24 shots, shooting 33 percent from the field. His subpar night didn’t do the team any good and he struggled to score against Andre Jackson Jr and AJ Green.
The Thunder’s defeat came in the second half. In the third and fourth quarters, the Thunder failed to exceed 20 points.
The biggest difference between the two teams was three-point shooting. Oklahoma City failed to compete beyond the arc, shooting 5-32 (15.6%) compared to Milwaukee’s 17-40 (42.5%). In the modern NBA, 15 three-pointers are certainly not enough to win games.
Although the Thunder forced 19 turnovers, the Bucks’ defensive presence was enough to contain their offense. Milwaukee outplayed them offensively and held Oklahoma City to its lowest mark of the season.
Winning the NBA Cup is cause for celebration, but Milwaukee’s work is far from over. They will be tested on Friday at 6.30pm against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leaders of the Eastern Conference.
