Starting 5, Dec. 18: Inside Bucks’ Emirates NBA Cup title run

67 video games. 30 groups. 1 winner.

The Milwaukee Bucks are your 2024 Emirates NBA Cup champions.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Dec. 18, 2024

Bucks Beat Thunder: Milwaukee caps its historic turnaround by hoisting the Emirates NBA Cup

“We Win Collectively”: With their season sputtering, the Bucks’ chemistry clicked

Giannis’ Rise: The NBA Cup MVP joined elite firm final night time, however he’s nonetheless hungry

Capturing The Chase: 7 pictures honoring Milwaukee’s 7-0 run to the Cup

NBA All-Star 2025: A contemporary format, mini-tourney and thrilling twists for this season’s ASG

1. BUCKS TOP THUNDER IN EMIRATES NBA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

On Nov. 10, the Bucks fell to 2-8 — their worst 10-game begin in a decade. 

Now? They’re NBA history-makers and Emirates NBA Cup champions.

Bucks 97, Thunder 81: Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a monster triple-double (26 pts, 19 reb, 10 ast) whereas Damian Lillard added 23 factors because the Bucks outscored the Thunder 46-31 within the 2nd half to win the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup championship in Las Vegas. | Recap

• Giannis MVP: Antetokounmpo — a two-time Kia NBA MVP and the 2021 Finals MVP — was named the NBA Cup MVP, including to his already embellished resume
• Good: The Bucks, who entered the semifinals as the one remaining unbeaten workforce in Cup play, completed the in-season competitors with a 7-0 report
• Historical past: Milwaukee (14-11) is the primary workforce in NBA historical past to begin 2-8 or worse by means of their first 10 video games after which win 12 of their subsequent 15

The Turning Level: After coming into the break with a one-point lead, Milwaukee outscored OKC 26-14 within the third quarter and used a 16-2 run between the third and 4th to take a 20-point lead and slam the door shut.

• Lockdown: OKC’s 14 factors within the third marked its lowest-scoring quarter in Cup play, and so they have been held to only 5-of-19 capturing (26.3%) whereas committing six turnovers
• Giannis & Dame Time: Giannis took over within the third, posting 12 factors, 10 boards, three assists and a block, whereas combining with Lillard (8 pts) to single-handedly outscore OKC

The three&D Distinction: The Thunder are permitting a league-low 103.5 ppg, nevertheless it was the Bucks protection that shined on Tuesday, holding OKC to a season-low in factors — together with 5-for-32 (15.6%) from past the arc.

• Proudly owning The three: It’s the Thunder’s lowest 3-point proportion in a sport since March 2023, and so they have been outscored 51-15 from downtown, because the Bucks went 17-of-40 (42.5%) from lengthy vary 
• Deer From Deep: Lillard led Milwaukee with 5 triples, whereas Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., and AJ Inexperienced sank three apiece
• Inside & Out: Giannis posted a game-high 18 factors within the paint, and the Bucks gained the rebounding battle 52-43
• Lillard: “To be the final workforce standing on this match, it feels nice.”
• Get Up Shut: For Milwaukee’s title celebration and Lillard telling Giannis to not drop the trophy

2. STRUGGLES TO STRENGTH: MILWAUKEE’S CUP CONNECTION

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Earlier than taking the ground for Tuesday’s championship bout, Bucks coach Doc Rivers had a easy message for his workforce:

• “Three phrases: we win collectively.”

Amid their 2-8 begin, the Bucks had one sport with 25+ assists. Of their final 15 video games, they’ve had 10. 

On Tuesday, 73.5% of Milwaukee’s 34 area objectives have been assisted — 14.8% greater than its season common (58.7%) because it recorded 25 dimes in comparison with OKC’s 13. 

Whereas the NBA Cup championship doesn’t depend towards regular-season statistics, the Bucks’ 73.5% help fee would have been their season-high.

• “We felt extraordinarily related on the market,” stated Damian Lillard postgame. “Having the powerful begin that we had, the one manner out of it was us being collectively and doing it as a collective group…
• “How related we have been tonight when the stakes have been this excessive was going to be crucial factor, and I feel we performed that manner.”

Milwaukee’s historic turnaround started with its NBA Cup Group Play opener, because it beat Toronto to enhance to 3-8. The win sparked a 9-1 stretch that noticed them end Group Play at 4-0 with an NBA-best +50 level differential.

Within the Knockout Rounds, the Bucks ousted two of the most well liked groups in basketball — the Magic and Hawks — to succeed in the championship, the place they handed the 20-5 Thunder, the highest workforce within the West, their largest lack of the season.

• “Outdoors Milwaukee, I feel lots of people stated, ‘What’s occurring?’” stated Rivers on their sluggish begin. “I don’t suppose one individual inside thought that in any respect…
• “We simply believed that it was going to click on, it was going to occur — I might make a degree of claiming we assumed that. Now it’s.”

The Bucks closed the NBA Cup ranked first in internet ranking (11.9), second in defensive ranking (101.3) and third in 3-point proportion (40.7%). However Milwaukee’s turnaround wasn’t nearly numbers.

• “We set the tone,” stated Giannis postgame. “We performed nice workforce basketball … most significantly, we have been competing defensively.  That’s who we’re — that’s what we’re going to proceed to be.”

3. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO NBA HISTORY: GIANNIS’ RELENTLESS PURSUIT

Very like the Bucks’ begin this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s NBA journey started with challenges.

When Giannis entered the league as an 18-year-old from Greece, he had solely been taking part in basketball for 5 years. As a rookie, he averaged 6.8 factors, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per sport.

His numbers elevated in every of the subsequent 4 seasons, marking the start of a meteoric rise into the NBA 75 — alongside his now-teammate Lillard — that has seen his sport stage up yr after yr.

• In 2016-17, Giannis’ fourth season, he averaged 20+ ppg for the primary time whereas being named an All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Participant
• In 2018-19, simply two seasons after his first All-Star choice, he was named Kia NBA MVP
• In 2019-20, he earned his second straight MVP whereas additionally being named Defensive Participant of the 12 months
• In 2020-21, he led the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years whereas being named Finals MVP
• This season, he’s main the NBA with a career-high 32.7 ppg whereas capturing 50% or higher in all 23 video games he’s performed – the second-longest streak to open a season in NBA historical past

“That’s simply who he’s” stated Damian Lillard on Giannis’ starvation to enhance. “He’s a decided individual and participant. Simply the background that he comes from — his journey to changing into the famous person that he’s, is a tricky one.”

Giannis hasn’t simply pushed himself to new heights this season — he’s additionally powered his workforce’s turnaround. After a loss to the Knicks in early November, the two-time MVP referred to as out his teammates, demanding extra depth:

• “Are we okay with not competing? I’m not okay with that … We’ve obtained to compete each single possession. Each free ball, we’ve obtained to get a physique on the ground and put it on the road.”

Giannis’ problem sparked a response. Twelve wins later, the Bucks have jumped from 14th within the East to fifth, highlighted by an Emirates NBA Cup title.

Twelve seasons later for Giannis, he’s gone from a rookie looking for his option to standing with LeBron James as the one two gamers in NBA historical past with a Kia NBA MVP, a Finals MVP, an All-Star Recreation MVP and an Emirates NBA Cup MVP. 

However the Greek Freak isn’t targeted on particular person accolades — he’s hungry for extra wins.

• “We’ve got what it takes to compete with the most effective groups. We’ve got to remain humble. The final 15 video games, we’ve been competing, taking part in workforce basketball, particularly down the stretch…
• “However there’s a stage that we nonetheless haven’t tapped.”

4. CAPTURING THE BUCKS’ CHASE FOR THE CUP IN 7 PHOTOS

The whole lot concerning the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup popped — from the colourful courts to the finale in Las Vegas.

In honor of the Bucks ending 7-0, beneath are seven of our favourite frames from their title run.

Plus, check your Emirates NBA Cup data with right now’s NBA Play Trivia!

Fiserv Discussion board | Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures

Brook Lopez | Gary Dineen/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

Giannis Antetokounmpo | David Dow/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

Giannis Antetokounmpo | Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard | Stephen Gosling/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

Damian Lillard | Logan Riely/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

5. NBA UNVEILS NEW ALL-STAR GAME FORMAT FOR 2025

The 2025 NBA All-Star Recreation is simply 60 days away. And it’s bringing a brand new twist, with the NBA and Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation saying a reimagined format for the sport, set to happen in San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 16 (8 ET, TNT).

• 4 Groups: For the primary time, the NBA All-Star Recreation will function a mini-tournament with 4 groups of eight gamers
• Three Video games: There will likely be two semifinal matchups, with the winners shifting on to the championship sport
• One Goal Rating: For every sport, the winner would be the first workforce to succeed in or surpass 40 factors

The 24 NBA All-Stars will likely be divided evenly into three groups, with the rosters drafted by TNT’s Contained in the NBA commentators Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, who will function honorary workforce GMs.

• NBA All-Star Draft: The three analysts will make their respective picks for Group Charles, Group Shaq and Group Kenny dwell on TNT on Thursday, Feb. 6
• The Fourth Squad? The winner of the Castrol Rising Stars Recreation (Feb. 14), with TNT analyst and WNBA legend Candace Parker main the way in which because the honorary GM

The voting course of to find out the 24 NBA All-Stars will stay the identical:

• Starters: The 5 gamers honored as starters in every convention will likely be chosen by followers (50% of the vote), present NBA gamers (25%) and a media panel (25%)
• Reserves: The seven gamers honored as reserves in every convention will likely be chosen by NBA head coaches
• Coaches: As of Feb. 2, the pinnacle coach of the main workforce within the East and West will every coach an All-Star workforce. One assistant from every workforce will coach the opposite two remaining squads

NBA All-Star Voting opens on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10 am ET and concludes on Monday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 pm. ET, giving followers the possibility to vote for the NBA All-Star Recreation starters by way of the NBA App and NBA.com with their NBA ID.