Bucks-Thunder: 5 takeaways from the Emirates NBA Cup Championship
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Bucks-Thunder: 5 takeaways from the Emirates NBA Cup Championship

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Milwaukee hits 17 3-pointers, sees its star duo shine and stops OKC with a 97-81 win in the Emirates Cup championship.

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LAS VEGAS – It’s probably fitting that the Milwaukee Bucks’ season in this city took a positive turn, because what were the chances that something like that would happen given how badly it started?

What were the chances of the Milwaukee Bucks rising from the mat and winning the Emirates NBA Cup?

The Bucks not only used the championship game to recover from a 2-8 start, They also defeated the current Western Conference leaders 97-81 and Their victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder was hardly in doubt from the third quarter onwards.

And so it happened: In the spirit of their incomparable leader – accompanied by “MVP“ he shouts as he leaves the floor with 90 seconds left – the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo had their best moment since winning the 2021 NBA Finals.

People flock to Vegas hoping that their luck will change and that the mission with the Bucks will be accomplished. They wake up this morning with a third place finish in the East within reach – assuming they don’t suffer from a severe hangover after their weekend getaway.

Here are five takeaways from the Bucks’ defensive win that made them their second NBA Cup winner.

1. No rumble of thunder

It may not be an exaggeration to say that the Bucks have played the best defensive game of all this young season, given the context.

First, OKC had only scored fewer than 100 points once this season.

Second, OKC had a bounce-back, averaging nearly 125 points in December.

Third: His star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, came to Vegas as the league’s third-best scorer with 30.3 points per game.

None of that mattered.

OKC couldn’t make a 3-point shot and missed 27 of 32 from deep. When the Thunder tried it up close, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks’ teeming defense – which has a significant size advantage – were waiting for them.

OKC posted season lows in points, field goal percentage, 3-pointers made and assists and lost for just the second time since November 19th.

The Thunder brought the top-rated defense into this contest, but fell to the Bucks.

“One of the guys said they just heard about the other team’s defense, and I think that bothered the guys,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “They were very careful to keep their numbers down.”

The perfect snap came in the third quarter when Giannis went down on a loose ball and sacrificed his body for a single possession while taking a comfortable lead. But because of that, the Bucks were energized and held OKC to 31 points in the second half.

“We didn’t let each other dry out,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard said. “We helped. Our distance was good. We attacked when we had to attack. We’ve had mistakes throughout the season, but tonight we kept our focus.”

2. Antetokounmpo, Lillard make it

The grand experiment was far from a success last season, their first as a duo, and proved suspiciously ineffective at the start of this season.

And so the question hung in the air like a fog in November: Can two A-listers coexist, and quickly, before it’s too late?

There’s a progress update, courtesy of the Cup: Things are progressing quite well.

Their chemistry is sharper. Antetokounmpo, the tournament MVP, posted a triple-double with 26 points, and Lillard scored 23 points while making half of his 10 shots from long range. They flowed together. The trust factor between them is deeper and richer.

“I think it’s one of those things where people wanted to pair me with Giannis and thought it would be perfect right away because we were both high-level players,” Lillard said. “But I come from a situation where I always had the ball and he had the ball for a decade and played a certain way. It just took time.

“I see the luxury of having him as a teammate and he sees the luxury of having me as a teammate. And then in a game like tonight, where there’s a lot at stake, that trust developed.”

3. Gilgeous-Alexander is mostly silent

It was a humbling night for a Kia NBA MVP contender. Gilgeous-Alexander never hurt the Bucks, never found a rhythm, never turned the game into a contest within the contest between him and Antetokounmpo.

One of them was noticeable, the other was mild.

Not many teams can handcuff one of the game’s smartest scorers, and yet Gilgeous-Alexander needed 24 shots to score 21 points. It was his first time in 15 games that he had fewer than 25 points.

“I achieved my goals, I just didn’t do anything,” he said. “Nights like this happen.”

The Bucks’ plan was to throw bodies in Shai’s way and force him to hit hard. Maybe in a few months, when Chet Holmgren returns from injury and gives OKC an additional scorer, the Thunder will survive this type of game.

Not Tuesday.

4. Money is part of it now

When you win big, there is often a knee-jerk reaction and the theory will automatically carry over to the next week and beyond.

That’s often far-fetched and proven false, although there could be some truth to it this time – especially if you’re one of those believers that the Bucks are eliminated as contenders two weeks into the season.

“The team that started the season is not the team you see now,” Lillard said. “We never were.”

Yes, there were circumstances why the Bucks quickly sank in the East, including injuries. Still, this team seemed sloppy and disjointed from the start. That is undeniable.

And now, what impact does this cup championship have?

“It reminds us that we can beat anyone,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “We can lose to anyone if we don’t play properly. We learned that lesson early on.”

And yet…

5. The future looks bright for Bucks

There’s even better news for the Bucks – their upcoming schedule is weak and Khris Middleton’s body will likely get stronger.

“We have what it takes to compete with the best teams,” Antetokounmpo said. “We have to stay humble. We were the worst defensive team in the NBA in the first 10 games and now we’re in the top 10. We’re getting better.”

Middleton sat out Tuesday due to a non-COVID illness and has played in just four games since offseason ankle surgery. His minutes restriction should be lifted before the New Year if he stays on schedule.

Even though he’s no longer the defender he once was, Middleton can still make shots, which will save a team that relies on Antetokounmpo and Lillard for shots.

When he returns from his latest issue, he won’t exactly be thrown into the fire. After the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV), the Bucks will play the next nine games against teams under .500. The Bucks enjoyed these teams’ season change and their most impressive win before beating the Houston Rockets (by one point) on Tuesday on November 18th.

However, unlike winning the championship in June, winning the title in December represents a temporary relief.

“When you get out of there, it starts right back up,” Rivers said.

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Shaun Powell has been covering the NBA for more than 25 years. You can send him an email Herefind his archive here And Follow him on X.

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