2024 NBA Cup championship game

Last updated

2024 NBA Cup championship game
2024 NBA Cup championship game promotion poster.jpeg
Promotional material for the championship game
Event 2024 NBA Cup
Milwaukee Bucks Oklahoma City Thunder
97 81
Head coach:
Doc Rivers 		Head coach:
Mark Daigneault
1234Total
Milwaukee Bucks 2724262097
Oklahoma City Thunder 2228141781
DateDecember 17, 2024
Venue T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada
MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Favorite Thunder by 4.5 points
Referees Josh Tiven
Karl Lane
Justin Van Duyne
Attendance18,519
←  2023
2025  →

The 2024 NBA Cup championship game was the final game of the second season of the NBA Cup. The game was played on December 17, 2024, in the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The game was contested by the Milwaukee Bucks of the Eastern Conference and the Oklahoma City Thunder of the Western Conference. Unlike other games, this game does not count towards the regular-season standings, nor affect the regular-season performances of the players.

Contents

The Bucks won the championship game by defeating the Thunder 97–81. Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the final, and was subsequently named the NBA Cup MVP. [1]

Participants

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks advanced to the knockout round as the winners of East group B with a 4–0 group record. They defeated the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Detroit Pistons. [2] In the knockout round, they defeated the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinals and the Atlanta Hawks in the semifinals. Before heading into the championship game, the Bucks were the 5th-placed team in the Eastern Conference with a 14–11 record.

The Bucks played in their second straight NBA Cup semifinal, becoming the first team to feature in two final fours.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder advanced to the knockout round as the winners of West group B with a 3–1 group record. In the group stage, they defeated the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Lakers, and lost to the San Antonio Spurs. [3] In the knockout round, they eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in the quarterfinals and the Houston Rockets in the semifinals. Before heading into the championship game, the Thunder were the 1st-placed team in the Western Conference with a 20–5 record in the regular season.

Road to the championship game

Milwaukee Bucks (Eastern Conference)Round Oklahoma City Thunder (Western Conference)
East group B

PosTeam
PldWLPFPAPDQualification
1 Milwaukee Bucks 440462412+50Advance to knockout stage
2 Detroit Pistons 431447440+7
3 Miami Heat 422459439+20
4 Toronto Raptors 413413430−17
5 Indiana Pacers 404445505−60
Source: NBA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Group stage West group B

PosTeam
PldWLPFPAPDQualification
1 Oklahoma City Thunder 431437392+45Advance to knockout stage
2 Phoenix Suns 431434404+30
3 Los Angeles Lakers 422437461−24
4 San Antonio Spurs 422446443+3
5 Utah Jazz 404451505−54
Source: NBA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Defeated the Orlando Magic, 114–109QuarterfinalsDefeated the Dallas Mavericks, 118–104
Defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 110–102SemifinalsDefeated the Houston Rockets, 111–96

Game summary

The Bucks missed Khris Middleton due to illness, which was announced 90 minutes before tipoff. [4] The Thunder struggled with shooting throughout the game, going 5-of-32 from long-range, setting season lows in both field goal and three-point percentage. [5] The game was close at halftime, with the Bucks leading 51-50, but the Bucks pulled away in the third quarter, holding the Thunder to just 14 points in the period. The Bucks led by as many as 20 points, before closing out the game with a 16-point victory, 97 to 81. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in points, rebounds, and assists, as he finished with a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. [6]

ABC
December 17
8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. Pacific)
Milwaukee Bucks 97, Oklahoma City Thunder 81
Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 24–22, 26–14, 20–17
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 26
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 19
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 10		Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 21
Rebs: Isaiah Hartenstein 12
Asts: Jalen Williams 3
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Attendance: 18,519
Referees: Josh Tiven, Karl Lane, Justin Van Duyne
Starters:PtsRebAst
G 0 Damian Lillard 2344
G 44 Andre Jackson Jr. 231
F 12 Taurean Prince 622
F 34 Giannis Antetokounmpo 261910
C 11 Brook Lopez 1391
Reserves:
F 9 Bobby Portis 593
G 20 A. J. Green 912
G 24 Pat Connaughton 001
G 5 Gary Trent Jr. 1331
F 3 MarJon Beauchamp 000
G 77 AJ Johnson 010
F 7 Chris Livingston 010
F 21 Tyler Smith 000
G 13 Ryan Rollins DNP
G 55 Delon Wright DNP
Head coach:
Doc Rivers
Kit body milwaukeebucks statement.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts milwaukeebucks statement.png
Kit shorts.svg
Milwaukee
Kit body okcthunder statement.png
Kit body basketball.svg
Kit shorts okcthunder statement.png
Kit shorts.svg
Oklahoma City

MilwaukeeStatistics [7] Oklahoma City
34/81 (42.0%) Field goals 29/87 (33.7%)
17/40 (42.5%)3-pt field goals 5/32 (15.6%)
12/18 (66.7%) Free throws 18/22 (81.8%)
9Offensive rebounds7
43Defensive rebounds36
52Total rebounds43
25Assists13
19Turnovers10
6Steals10
4Blocks5
20Fouls14
28Points in the paint34
9Fast break points11
20Biggest lead7
27Bench points15
11Points off turnovers12
Starters:PtsRebAst
G 2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2142
G 11 Isaiah Joe 731
F 5 Luguentz Dort 481
F 8 Jalen Williams 1843
C 55 Isaiah Hartenstein 16122
Reserves:
G 22 Cason Wallace 511
G/F 34 Kenrich Williams 321
G 9 Alex Caruso 230
G/F 21 Aaron Wiggins 030
G 25 Ajay Mitchell 522
C 15 Branden Carlson 010
F 3 Dillon Jones 000
Head coach:
Mark Daigneault

Aftermath

The Bucks won their first NBA Cup title, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was unanimously given the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the tournament. [8] Antetokounmpo followed LeBron James as the second winner of the award. Taurean Prince, who won the 2023 title with the Los Angeles Lakers, became the first player to win multiple NBA Cups. [9] Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham won his second title as well, having won the title as head coach of the Lakers in the previous season. [10] Each player on the Bucks roster received $514,971 in price money, while Thunder players received $205,988 each. [6]

Rosters

Milwaukee Bucks

2024–25 Milwaukee Bucks roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F 34 Antetokounmpo, Giannis 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)243 lb (110 kg)1994-12-06 Greece
F 3 Beauchamp, MarJon 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)199 lb (90 kg)2000-10-12 Yakima Valley
G 24 Connaughton, Pat 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)209 lb (95 kg)1993-01-06 Notre Dame
G 20 Green, A. J. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg)1999-09-27 Northern Iowa
G 44 Jackson, Andre Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)209 lb (95 kg)2001-11-13 Connecticut
G 77 Johnson, AJ 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)160 lb (73 kg)2004-12-01Southern California Academy (CA)
G 0 Lillard, Damian 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg)1990-07-15 Weber State
F 7 Livingston, Chris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg)2003-10-15 Kentucky
C 11 Lopez, Brook 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)282 lb (128 kg)1988-04-01 Stanford
F 22 Middleton, Khris 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)222 lb (101 kg)1991-08-12 Texas A&M
F 9 Portis, Bobby 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)250 lb (113 kg)1995-02-10 Arkansas
F 12 Prince, Taurean 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)218 lb (99 kg)1994-03-22 Baylor
C 15 Robbins, Liam  (TW)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)250 lb (113 kg)1999-07-12 Vanderbilt
G 13 Rollins, Ryan  (TW)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg)2002-07-03 Toledo
F 21 Smith, Tyler 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)224 lb (102 kg)2004-11-02 George Bush HS (TX)
G 5 Trent, Gary Jr. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)204 lb (93 kg)1999-01-18 Duke
G 17 Umude, Stanley  (TW)6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg)1999-04-12 Arkansas
G 55 Wright, Delon 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)185 lb (84 kg)1992-04-26 Utah
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Roster
Last transaction: December 11, 2024

Oklahoma City Thunder

2024–25 Oklahoma City Thunder roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
C 15 Carlson, Branden 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)220 lb (100 kg)1999-06-14 Utah
G 9 Caruso, Alex 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)186 lb (84 kg)1994-02-28 Texas A&M
F 13 Dieng, Ousmane  Cruz Roja.svg6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)185 lb (84 kg)2003-05-21 France
G/F 5 Dort, Luguentz 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)220 lb (100 kg)1999-04-19 Arizona State
G/F 88 Ducas, Alex  (TW)6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg)2000-12-11 Saint Mary's
G 14 Flagler, Adam  (TW)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg)1999-12-01 Baylor
G 2 Gilgeous-Alexander, Shai 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg)1998-07-12 Kentucky
C 55 Hartenstein, Isaiah 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)250 lb (113 kg)1998-05-05 Germany
F/C 7 Holmgren, Chet  Cruz Roja.svg7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)208 lb (94 kg)2002-05-01 Gonzaga
G 11 Joe, Isaiah 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)165 lb (75 kg)1999-07-02 Arkansas
G/F 3 Jones, Dillon 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)235 lb (107 kg)2001-10-29 Weber State
G 25 Mitchell, Ajay  (TW)6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg)2002-06-25 UC Santa Barbara
G 44 Topić, Nikola  Cruz Roja.svg6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg)2005-08-10 Serbia
G 22 Wallace, Cason 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)2003-11-07 Kentucky
G 21 Wiggins, Aaron 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg)1999-01-02 Maryland
G/F 8 Williams, Jalen 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)211 lb (96 kg)2001-04-14 Santa Clara
F/C 6 Williams, Jaylin  Cruz Roja.svg6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)240 lb (109 kg)2002-06-29 Arkansas
G/F 34 Williams, Kenrich 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg)1994-12-02 TCU
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Roster
Last transaction: December 10, 2024

Media

This game was broadcast for the second and final year of its deal on ABC (including local stations WISN-TV in Milwaukee and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City), before moving to Prime Video in 2025. [11]

This game was also streamed for the first time on ESPN+ as part of a modified rearrangement that saw the platform simulcasting more events from ABC since August 2024.

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The 2024 NBA Cup, also known as the Emirates NBA Cup, was a multi-stage basketball tournament played during the 2024–25 NBA season. It was the second edition of the NBA Cup. All 30 teams participated, each playing four regular season games that counted towards the tournament's group stage standings—all in the knockout round, except for the championship game. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

References

  1. ↑ Aschburner, Steve (December 17, 2024). "Giannis Antetokounmpo adds to stellar resume with Emirates NBA Cup MVP". NBA.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Bucks advance in NBA Cup as Antetokounmpo and Lillard key 128-107 win over Pistons". ESPN.com. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Thunder beat Jazz 133-106 and advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals". ESPN.com. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Illness forces Bucks' Middleton to miss Cup final". ESPN.com. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Thunder go cold, will 'learn' from NBA Cup loss". ESPN.com. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Dec 17, 2024 Game Summary". www.nba.com. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder Dec 17, 2024 Game Summary". NBA.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Giannis Antetokounmpo adds to stellar resume with Emirates NBA Cup MVP". NBA.com. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Taurean Prince makes NBA history with back-to-back titles". MARCA. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Bucks Assistant Darvin Ham Won Second Straight NBA Cup And Fans Had Plenty of Jokes". SI. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Rajan, Ronce (December 17, 2024). "ESPN NBA Full Court Press: ESPN Presents the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 Championship on Tuesday with a Matchup Between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder on ABC and ESPN+". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
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