Leader in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder were no match for the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half who won the 2024 edition of the NBA Cup.
Unsurprisingly, it was Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo who led the charge to a 97-81 victory in this tournament played at the very heart of the regular season.
Antetokounmpo had 26 points and recorded a hat-trick with 19 rebounds and 10 assists. The Bucks dominated from downtown with 17 shots for three points in the triumph.
Milwaukee held the Thunder to just 14 points in the third quarter and they scored 26 of their own to take the lead from that point on.
Damian Lillard also stood out for the Bucks with 23 points.
The reward is still notable with more than $500,000 ($514,971) awarded to each player on the winning team. At the Thunder, the players receive $205,988 in the defeat.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the most productive player for OKC with 21 points. Luguentz Dort was held to four points, but he had eight rebounds.
Installed near the bottom of the NBA after starting the campaign with a 2-8 record, the Bucks have won 13 of their last 16 outings.
Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers won the first edition of the NBA Cup.
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