By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Milwaukee Bucks became the second team in the history of the NBA to win the NBA Cup golden trophy following a lopsided 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 18, 2024.
Riding on a three-game winning streak before squaring off against Oklahoma in the finale of the NBA Cup, Milwaukee showed they were the hungrier team and banked on their waxing hot three-point shooting to cop the championship title.
The Bucks shot 42% from downtown, converting 17 out of their 40 total attempts from the three-point territory compared to Oklahoma’s dismal 5/32 shooting from beyond the arc.
Aside from their stellar shooting from downtown, the Bucks also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Thunder, 52-43.
That department made a difference in the second half when the Bucks started to gain control of the game and relied on their second-chance points to protect their advantage.
It was at the end of the third when the Bucks first tasted their double-digit lead, courtesy of the laser-focused Giannis Antetokounmpo who dominated his way in the loose Oklahoma interior defense.
Without Chet Holmgren who is still sidelined due to a severe hip injury, Antetokounmpo attacked Oklahoma’s shaded lane at will and shut down every double team that the Thunder deployed.
Despite Antetokounmpo sitting at the bench when the fourth frame kicked off, Milwaukee’s second unit led by Gary Trent and AJ Green helped the Bucks maintain their lead and frustrated the ice-cold Oklahoma squad even more.
Damian Lillard also made his share in the win as he knocked down five three-pointers including a huge trey that ballooned Milwaukee’s biggest lead to 20 points.
Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks as he top-scored all players with a 26-point masterpiece built from an efficient 10/19 shooting from the field alongside 19 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals.
Lillard also maintained his consistent offensive outing for the Bucks and dropped 23 markers derived from five made treys with four boards and four dimes.
With the win, the Bucks replicated the feat that the Los Angeles Lakers achieved when they became the first-ever NBA Cup champions after defeating Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers.
