A dominant second half performance by the Milwaukee Bucks gave them a comfortable 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Tuesday’s NBA Cup Championship game from Las Vegas.
The Bucks led 51-50 at halftime, and pulled away in the second half to the tune of outscoring the Thunder 46-31.
The Thunder were putrid from deep (5-for-32) and made just 34 percent of their overall shots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate for the 20-5 Thunder, had an off night going just 8-for-24 from the field including 2-for-9 from downtown. Jalen Williams scored 18 but was just 8-for-20. Isaiah Hartenstein was a bright spot, with 16 points and 12 rebounds on 6-for-11, but he did not and could not solely make up for the team’s lack of size as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez rebounded well.
In particular on the other side, it was Antetokounmpo who was dominant, putting up 26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 blocks. He was 10-for-19 from the field and 6-for-11 from the free-throw line. His timely blocks down the stretch on Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams were emphatic exclamation points on the Bucks’ win, and he was dominant throughout the game attacking, on the boards, and finishing inside.
Damian Lillard played a solid game as well, with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 5-for-10 from downtown. He hit timely baskets and his steady presence were keys to the win. Lopez made 3 of his 6 3-point attempts and finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Gary Trent Jr. (13 points) was 3-for-6 from deep and AJ Green was 3-for-5, the Bucks 17-for-40 as a whole. Bobby Portis added 9 rebounds off the bench.
For the Bucks, who have lost just three games this month and are 14-11 overall, the win was an indication of what they can do when they are fully focused. Khris Middleton missed the game due to an illness.
For the Thunder, the blowout loss seems to be a blip on an otherwise strong start to their season. As the game does not count towards overall standings, their record remains 20-5. They have been the Western Conference’s best team all season.
NBA regular season action picks back up on Thursday with 13 games, including the Thunder visiting the Orlando Magic (17-11) at 7 p.m. The Bucks visit the 23-4 Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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