Giannis Antetokounmpo After Bucks Capture NBA Cup Crown: ‘Job’s Not Done’

December 17, 2024

For the Milwaukee Bucks, the path to the NBA Cup championship ran through a familiar number: 3.

That would be none other than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the charge with a triple-double performance, finishing with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, as the Bucks secured the NBA Cup title with a dominant 97-81 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Damian Lillard added 23 points, and the Bucks hit a scorching 17 three-pointers to seal the victory. Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each chipped in with 13 points to round out the balanced scoring attack.

The Bucks’ second-half surge was nothing short of decisive. A 19-5 run in the third quarter stretched what was a five-point game into a commanding 19-point lead early in the fourth, and Milwaukee kept control from there.

It was a clinical display of shooting and defense that left little doubt about who was the superior team on Tuesday night.

“It’s great, it’s great for our team,” Antetokounmpo told reporters in Vegas “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.”

Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 21 points and Isaiah Hartenstein’s 16 points and 12 rebounds, the Thunder couldn’t find their rhythm, shooting just 34% from the field and being outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc.

This actually a fairly significant milestone for the Bucks. After a wildly rocky 2-8 start to the season, Milwaukee has won 13 of its last 16. This victory, although only for the tournament, provides the Bucks with a confidence boost that could propel them through the rest of the regular season.

“We struggled coming out of the gates,” coach Doc Rivers said. “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. But we still have work to do.

“It reminds us that we can beat anybody.”

Giannis echoed the sentiment, stating simply: “Job’s not done.

So yes, the Bucks may have claimed the NBA Cup, but for them, this is just a stepping stone toward a bigger goal.