By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
LAS VEGAS — Everyone has a lucky number in Las Vegas. For the Milwaukee Bucks, it was three.
And the NBA Cup was their prize.
Tournament MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points to go along with 19 rebounds and 10 assists, Damian Lillard added 23 points and the Bucks connected on 17 3-pointers on the way to beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 97-81, in the NBA Cup title game on Tuesday night.
“Everybody did their job,” Lillard said. “We defended. We played well from the start of the game all the way through the finish. I think it just showed what we’ve been building. I think it all came out in our biggest game to this point.”
Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 13 for the Bucks, who joined the Lakers as the only champions of the 2-year-old event. A 19-5 Milwaukee run in the second half turned what was a five-point game into a 19-point game early in the fourth, and the Bucks kept control the rest of the way.
“It’s great, it’s great for our team,” Antetokounmpo said. “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.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder, who had scored at least 99 points in every game this season. But they sputtered in plenty of ways Tuesday, getting outscored 51-15 from behind the arc and shooting only 34%.
“We didn’t shoot it well,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But that’s never an excuse. … We’ve shot bad and won games before, so that’s not an excuse.”
Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which was held to 31 points after halftime.
“We did some good things. We outscored them in the paint so obviously we did the job defensively on that end,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But obviously a tough night offensively all the way around for us. We didn’t score nearly enough points, especially in the second half, to give ourselves a chance to win. But we can learn from it, move forward here.”
It’s a game that only counted for tournament purposes. There was about $300,000 in additional bonus money for Bucks players – they got $514,971 apiece, while the Thunder players got $205,988 each – but the win, the loss and the statistics from the game won’t count toward the regular season.
Mired toward the bottom of the NBA after a 2-8 start, the Bucks have been on a tear since. This was their 13th win in their last 16 games, even though it won’t be part of the official record.
No matter: When the Bucks emptied their bench with 1:37 left, Antetokounmpo pumped his fists like it was a true championship moment.
He’s won bigger games – he and the Bucks captured the 2021 NBA title, after all. But they said from the outset of this tournament that the NBA Cup was a priority.
And they left no doubt in the end.
“We struggled coming out of the gates,” Bucks 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.”
Antetokounmpo was even more succinct: “Job’s not done,” he said.
His point was clear: There’s another title to chase in June. But this was still a trophy moment to celebrate.
Bucks: Milwaukee played without guard Khris Middleton (non-COVID illness) and still improved to an NBA-best 12-1 in NBA Cup games, including a perfect 7-0 this season. The Bucks’ only in-season tournament loss was to Indiana in last year’s semifinals.
Thunder: It was a rare night of playing uphill for Oklahoma City, which trailed by as many as 20. The Thunder trailed by more than 14 points in only two of their 25 games so far in the regular season – getting down by 30 against Golden State and by 21 to San Antonio.
No fewer than five players ended up on the floor, all scrapping for a loose ball with 9:12 left in the third quarter. Thunder forward Lu Dort was hit with a technical, Daigneault got another a few seconds later and Lillard ended up with a five-point possession – two free throws for the techs, followed by a 3-pointer.
The Thunder are 20-1 this season when leading after three quarters. They’re now 0-5 when tied or trailing going into the final quarter (even though it will officially be 0-4 since this game won’t be counted).
The Thunder visit Orlando on Thursday and Miami on Friday. The Bucks visit Cleveland on Friday and host Washington on Saturday.
