Dec 18, 2024, 12:04 AM ET
The Milwaukee Bucks are officially the 2024 NBA Cup champions!
After defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed tournament MVP and led his team to its 15th win of the season and its first NBA Cup title.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Tuesday night’s final:
Jump to a section:
NBA Cup title gives Bucks even more momentum
The story of the Bucks’ season has been Giannis Antetokounmpo putting this team on his back and pulling it out of the cavernous 2-8 hole it put itself in with consistently stellar play and overwhelming opponents on a nightly basis.
That was what got the Bucks to Las Vegas, and it’s what allowed them to beat the Western Conference-leading Thunder and claim the NBA Cup title with a comprehensive 97-81 victory.
Oklahoma City might have the league’s best defense, but no one has been capable of slowing Antetokounmpo this season, with his unmatched combination of size, strength and speed. And he did it in this game the same way he has been all season: eschewing the 3-point line, barreling into the paint and either scoring or getting to the free throw line. With the first edition of ESPN’s MVP Straw Poll coming out later this week, it was the kind of command performance that shows why Antetokounmpo figures to be in contention for the award again this season.
For OKC, it was a disappointing showing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Finishing with 21 points on 8-for-24 shooting was not the kind of display he wanted to put on in a marquee opportunity. Presuming Chet Holmgren comes back healthy from his hip injury later this season, the Thunder will have a good chance at making an NBA Finals run. However, Jalen Williams going 8-for-20 from the field was a reminder of his struggles against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round last year.
OKC’s 5-for-32 display from 3-point range — along with the 36-point swing from behind the arc due to Milwaukee’s 17 triples — is another reminder of that Dallas series when OKC liked the shots it was getting, but couldn’t knock them down.
The Thunder are going to be just fine, and one poor performance won’t change that. Tuesday night, instead, was about Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. The only criticism of this team during its turnaround over the past several weeks is that the schedule has been light on tough opponents. But after a narrow loss to the Boston Celtics earlier this month and the way it handled the top team in the West, Milwaukee is showing significant progress.
The oldest adage in the NBA is that the best player on the court, more often than not, is going to come out as the winner. Antetokounmpo proved that once again.
Why Giannis was key for the Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have won the 2024 NBA Cup after putting together their most complete game of the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo was fantastic again on his way to winning the MVP award (26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists), but the Bucks also swarmed the Thunder defensively.
What to know about the NBA Cup, including the Bucks’ win over the Thunder in Las Vegas.
• Updates and FAQ on format, prize money
• Collier: How Giannis, Bucks saved their season
• Pelton: NBA Cup awards! Best game, top players
• Bontemps: Execs, scouts on the NBA Cup’s future
The Thunder scored 16 points in the paint in the first quarter and then were limited to just 14 paint points in the second and third quarter combined. In the third, the Thunder’s 14 points overall were the fewest they have scored in any quarter this season. And the Bucks pressured the Thunder into just 4-for-30 from 3 (13.3%).
After losing in the semifinals of the NBA Cup last season, the Bucks made a point of emphasis to target winning the tournament this year. They have accomplished their goal and continue to trend upward after their slow start. — Jamal Collier
OKC, missing Holmgren, must address small-ball issues
The Thunder’s two biggest flaws cost them an NBA Cup championship. The potential solution for the playoffs was sitting in the second row of the Oklahoma City bench.
Wednesday, Dec. 25: Christmas slate on ABC
Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, 2:30 p.m.
All times Eastern
Right now the Thunder are a small team — essentially a collection of guards and wings surrounding a lone 7-footer in Isaiah Hartenstein — that is subpar at 3-point shooting.
Those problems hurt the Thunder badly in the blowout loss to the Bucks, as Antetokounmpo dominated and OKC had an awful shooting night (5-for-32 from 3-point range).
Chet Holmgren, an elite rim protector and above-average long-range threat, could only watch as he continues to recover from a fractured pelvis that will continue to sideline him for weeks.
Not that the Bucks should feel any sympathy that the Thunder were missing a cornerstone to their starting lineup. After all, an illness sidelined Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton from the big game in Las Vegas.
But if the Thunder are going to celebrate a title this season, Holmgren will have to play a big role once he returns. — Tim MacMahon
2024 NBA Cup knockout stage results
All times ET
Quarterfinals, Dec. 10
Quarterfinals, Dec. 11
Semifinals, Dec. 14
Championship, Dec. 17
Previous group stage results
Nov. 12
Trail Blazers 122, Timberwolves 108
Nov. 15
Timberwolves 130, Kings 126 (OT)
Nov. 19
Nov. 22
Nov. 26
Rockets 117, Timberwolves 111 (OT)
Nov. 29
Dec. 3
Clippers 127, Trail Blazers 105
FAQ (by Tim Bontemps)
The NBA unveiled the six groups for the second edition of its in-season tournament — now called the Emirates NBA Cup. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to know about the return of the competition.
What is the format?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. The idea for having an in-season cup competition within the NBA schedule comes from soccer leagues having both a regular-season title, won by the team with the most points over the full year, and a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season.
In England, for example, there are the various divisions — led by the Premier League — and also the FA Cup competition. But unlike those European leagues, which play their cup competitions outside of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is built into the regular-season slate.
The 30 NBA teams were split into six five-team groups — three featuring Eastern Conference teams, and three comprising teams from the West — with each team then playing one game against the other four in their group. The winner of each group, plus the team with the best record among the nongroup winners, will then advance to the knockout rounds.
How will this impact the regular-season schedule and standings?
Typically, the NBA sends out a full 82-game schedule in mid-August. Now, though, the league sends out only 80 games and leaves a gap for roughly a week to fill in later, depending on how the group stage of the NBA Cup plays out.
The teams that reach the NBA Cup’s finale will actually play 83 games — though the championship game won’t count toward the standings or any statistical markers. Those that lose in the semifinals will have played their full 82-game schedule and won’t need anything added.
The two teams from both the East and West that lose in the quarterfinals will play their 82nd game against one another on one of four dates: Dec. 12, 13, 15 or 16. Meanwhile, the 22 teams that fail to qualify for the knockout rounds will have their final two games scheduled — one at home and one on the road — on Dec. 12 or 13 and 15 or 16 against others eliminated in the group stage.
Why does the NBA Cup include regular-season games?
Before its launch, one of the main questions surrounding the in-season tournament was why any team would be incentivized to compete in it. By making every game part of the season — and, being in-conference, potentially important from a playoff-tiebreaker standpoint — the NBA ensured teams will be motivated.
If this had been set up like the cup tournaments in European soccer, there would have been nothing stopping NBA teams from opting out, literally or figuratively — sitting their top players for extra rest.
What teams make up the groups?
To create the groups, the NBA put all 15 teams in each conference into five pots, separated by their finish in last season’s standings. Pot 1 included the teams that finished 1-3 in regular-season record, teams 4-6 went into Pot 2, teams 7-9 into Pot 3, teams 10-12 into Pot 4 and teams 13-15 into Pot 5.
As a result, the following groups were drawn:
East A: New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets
East B: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons
East C: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards
West A: Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers
West B: Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
West C: Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies
Does one group stand out the most from the others?
Yes, there is an obvious one: West Group C, featuring the Nuggets, Mavericks, Pelicans, Warriors and Grizzlies.
Because of how the draw is performed, Golden State and Memphis, which dealt with a combination of suspensions and injuries, are significantly stronger than you would anticipate teams in the bottom two pots to be.
But in addition to featuring the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic and Zion Williamson, the group also could offer the first meeting between Klay Thompson and his former team after the guard signed with Dallas following 13 seasons with Golden State.
What do players get for winning?
Last year, the players on the winning team received $500,000 each, while those on the runners-up got $200,000. The losing players of the semifinals each got $100,000, and those ousted in the quarterfinals each got $50,000.
This year, the prizes will be slightly higher because of negotiated raises year over year to keep pace with increases in the salary cap and basketball related income as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.
Will anyone earn individual honors for their play in NBA Cup games?
There will be an MVP award, as well as an all-tournament team.
Will this have any impact on the playoffs?
Not beyond the games counting in the regular-season standings (and toward tiebreakers). Though there was debate among league insiders about guaranteeing a playoff berth for winning the tournament, ultimately that idea (or any other to further incentivize teams) was not enacted.
The debate continued after last year’s in-season tournament winner, the Lakers, wound up in the play-in tournament, while the runner-up, the Pacers, narrowly avoided landing in it. But, in the end, the only playoff impact comes from the wins and losses accrued throughout the tournament.
Why is it called the Emirates NBA Cup?
The league struck a sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, to sponsor the tournament after its initial run. The NBA said last year that it went with the most basic titles for both the tournament and its trophy — the “in-season tournament” and “NBA Cup” — as a way to introduce the concept to fans.
However, using such nondescript names had another clear advantage: It gave the league a blank slate in case the tournament and cup became properties it ended up selling to a sponsor, and avoided the complications that could arise by naming them after someone (for example, the late NBA commissioner David Stern, one possibility that had been floated before the tournament was officially unveiled).
