CNN
—

The knockout phase of the second annual NBA Cup began with a doubleheader of quarterfinal games on Tuesday night.

The first duel between the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks ended with a 114:109 victory for the Bucks at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

With the score down 107-106 late in the fourth quarter, Bucks guard Damian Lillard took advantage of the Magic’s defensive breakdown by easily driving to the basket with less than 33 seconds left in the game for the uncontested layup.

The eight-time All-Star finished the game with 28 points and nine assists, and the NBA’s leading scorer, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, scored a game-high 37 points.

For the second time in as many editions of the regular-season tournament, Milwaukee has reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals last season, a memory still fresh in Lillard’s mind.

“We didn’t have the greatest experience there last year,” said the 34-year-old after the win. “I think we’re all thinking about it, going back and finishing what we started last year and doing it right this time.”

Tuesday’s nightcap featured two of the NBA’s best scorers – Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks traveled north to face the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder attempted an astonishing 31 three-pointers in the first half of the game and hit 11 of them. Despite getting 18 points from Gilgeous-Alexander and holding Dončić to just two points at halftime, OKC only had a three-point lead at halftime.

Oklahoma City maintained a stranglehold on the game in the third quarter as the Thunder extended their lead to as many as 20 points and Gilgeous-Alexander continued to play the key role in OKC’s offense.

The Mavericks staged a comeback when Dončić and Kyrie Irving finally found their offensive rhythm in the fourth period. Dallas cut the deficit to eight points, but the Thunder were able to keep the Mavs at bay and OKC cruised to a 118-104 win.

Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 39 points in the game, more than Dončić (16) and Irving (17) combined. The Thunder attempted an incredible 50 three-pointers, making 20, which equates to a consistent shooting rate of 40% from long range.

“It had a little bit of a playoff feel to it, there was a little more at stake than just a regular season game. I’m proud of the team. I’m proud of the boys. We rose to the moment and beat a good basketball team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game.

The remaining two NBA Cup quarterfinal contests will be played on Wednesday evening.

The first game will take place in the “most famous arena in the world” when the New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks, led by Trae Young, who recently retired from Madison Square Garden.

In Wednesday’s late game, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors will take their entertaining brand of basketball to the road to take on the surging Houston Rockets.

The thunder will wait for the winner of that game, while the Bucks will face the winner of the Hawks-Knicks duel.

The semifinals will take place on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the final will take place on Tuesday at the same location.