When the NBA Cup first arrived in the league last season, it wasn’t the most popular decision amongst the many basketball fans in the world. Having a mid season tournament to crown a “mid season” champion didn’t go very well with the traditional basketball mind that’s so used to just experiencing the playoffs at the end of the regular season to have a NBA champion. All in all, NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver thought it’ll be a great idea and it’ll give a bigger and better excitement for the league during the season versus waiting for the end of the season for all the hype.
On December 17, 2024, this season’s NBA Cup Champs are none other than the Milwaukee Bucks after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in an explosive game where Giannis Antekounmpo carried the load for Milwaukee with a triple double. 26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists with 2 steals and 3 blocks adding to that incredible stat line, this was a statement victory for Giannis as he said “losing isn’t an option,” during an interview before the big game. Giannis is arguably playing his biggest and best brand of basketball in his entire career, and now as a NBA Cup champion, it only solidifies it. Currently averaging 32.7 point per game, as he leads the league in scoring, and having the best shooting percentage from the field in his whole career, Giannis is on a mission this season to win it all and bring back Milwaukee to the promised land.
As important of a role Giannis plays as the best player on the team, no one man can win any championship. Every great player needs complementary and role players to bounce off to play great basketball and win championships. Playing alongside Giannis has done Damian Lillard plenty of favors. With Giannis' playing style, it allows Dame to play off ball, become more unselfish and enhance the way he played in Portland, a team that had little to no chance to even go to the Western Conference, to now a championship or bust team with Milwaukee. With that in mind, Dame stepped up beautifully in the NBA Cup Finals. Finishing the game with 23 points, 5-10 from the 3-point line with 4 assists and 4 rebounds, Damian Lillard is coming into his own as the second best player on this Milwaukee team and pushing this team for a better chance to gain a title.
With Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green and even Taurean Prince stepping up as well, the Bucks cleaned house and secured their first NBA Cup. Although this may cause a celebration, this NBA Cup isn’t the main goal or objective. It’s a pit stop heading towards the main mission of a NBA championship. The way Giannis is playing, Dame’s new found leadership, role players playing their roles, Milwaukee’s chances are extremely high. Their likelihood for a title will soar even more when Khris Middleton returns from injury. The sky’s the limit for the Bucks.
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