The Milwaukee Bucks have emerged victorious in the second ever Emirates NBA Cup title game, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81. Tournament MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo stole the show, recording a triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Damian Lillard added 23 points, while Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 13 for the Bucks. Milwaukee’s offense was on fire, connecting on 17 3-pointers throughout the game. A 19-5 run in the second half sealed the deal, turning a five-point game into a 19-point advantage early in the fourth quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their struggles. Oklahoma City was outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc and shot only 34% from the field. Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 12 rebounds, but the Thunder’s offense stalled in the second half, scoring just 31 points.
The NBA Cup final cash payout increased slightly in the last year due to a collective bargaining agreement requiring an increase from the first year using the “basketball related income” growth factor. All winning players received $514,970, while runner-ups earned $205,988, with Milwaukee’s two-way players receiving half of that. Head coaches receive the same amount, while assistant coaches receive 75% of the head coach’s total.
“It’s great, it’s great for our team,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re getting better. … We know we’re leaving Vegas as a better team. I’m so proud of this group. Man, I’m so proud of this group.” Bucks coach Doc Rivers added, “We struggled coming out of the gates. No one here doubted what we can be and who we can be and we just hung in there. We stuck together and this is the byproduct of a team sticking together.”
Doc Rivers becomes the first head coach to win an NBA title (2008 in Boston) and NBA Cup.
The Bucks will face Cleveland next and host Washington on after, while the Thunder visit Orlando and Miami soon after.
