With how the Oklahoma City Thunder looked on offense against the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Championship Game, it was easy for fans to facepalm in frustration. The Bucks’ defense ground the Thunder down on offense, giving the team a learning experience. However, even after the final buzzer, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was lovingly facepalming at the comments made by Oklahoma City teammate Jalen Williams moments after the loss.
“Honestly, it’s a lot of money we’re playing for,” quipped Williams. “I mean, you saw how they were celebrating. They were happy. But, when I think there’s money on the line, everybody will play hard. So, yeah, I guess I’m disappointed.
“There is a competitive advantage. If I’m going to play a game, I’m going to play hard. I’m not going to change how I play because of the circumstances. I want to win at the end of the day, and I think I speak for the whole team.”
Every Milwaukee player secured $500,000 for winning the 2024 NBA Cup. Although they lost, the Thunder didn’t walk away penniless despite their hard work. While it isn’t as much as what Milwaukee won, Oklahoma City’s players each won $205,988.
So, although it’s a $294,012 difference, at least Williams and the Thunder won’t walk away empty-handed. However, it’s a bitter-sweet prize, especially after a 16-point beat down at the hooves of the Bucks. Hopefully, Oklahoma City can bounce once their regular season grind resumes.
The Thunder are feeling good despite losing the 2024 NBA Cup
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
After the loss, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault looked at the bright side of his team gaining experience this early into the regular season. It’s an opportunity for the Thunder to examine what went wrong and learn how to prevent a similar defeat from occurring again.
“When you lose a game like tonight, it gives you wisdom,” Daigneault said. “It gives you information on yourselves as long as we’re growing through all those experiences. Then, we’ll gain momentum as the season goes on with a young team and a team that’s growing through everything.”
After the lesson learned, Oklahoma City will face the Orland Magic on the front end of a back-to-back set on the road on Thursday before playing the Miami Heat on Friday night in South Beach. After the back-to-back set, the Thunder returns home to host the hapless Washington Wizards.
For the Thunder, growing from failure is essential and can prove indispensable come playoff time. Daigneault will try to ingrain the “wisdom” gained from an overall productive NBA Cup adventure into his squad during the remainder of the season.
