The Milwaukee Bucks have captured their first NBA Cup title with a dominant 97-81 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bucks have already overcome many challenges early in the season; after a 2-8 start, they were quickly written off as a title contender. They also have dealt with injuries as their third star, Khris Middleton has played just 4 games thus far this year and has yet to play at his full capabilities. Still, the Bucks have one of the best duos in the NBA as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard appear to have improved their chemistry playing together. With their spectacular play especially during the NBA Cup tournament, the Bucks appeared poised to contend into June.
Despite being the fifth seed in the NBA with a record of 14-11, the Bucks have recently shown impressive performances, particularly in the NBA Cup final against a talented Thunder team. Their play during the tournament sends a strong message to the rest of the league: if the Bucks can maintain this level of performance in the playoffs, they can compete with anyone. A significant factor in their success is their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is arguably amid the best season of his illustrious career. Giannis is currently averaging a career-high 32.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. With his exceptional performance, many consider him the best player in the world, and he has a great chance of winning his second NBA championship.
After their NBA Cup win, they showed a level of focus that was apparent on and off the court as the Bucks opted against a traditional celebration for their title win. Though they appeared to savor the win their focus still appeared to be on the road ahead. Giannis emphasized this by stating, "We have a lot of basketball in front of us. We play Cleveland on Friday. Very, very good team. They are going to be waiting for us. Right now, the emotion is at an all-time high. We have to bring it down, be humble. Once we leave here tomorrow, go back to the gym, lock-in, and hopefully we can go and get a win against the Cavs." The Bucks have been a different team since their 2-8 start having won 12 of their last 15 games which is the best record in the NBA in that span. Lillard spoke on the difference between the team at the beginning of the season to now, "We've shown the team we started the season as is not the team that we are now. And it was never who we truly were. Just got off to a tough start."
The message the Bucks showed through their performance in the NBA Cup Final was reinforced by their head coach, Doc Rivers. If the Bucks play as they did against the Thunder, particularly on defense, they can compete with anyone. It will be interesting to see how the Bucks perform in their upcoming games as they try to maintain the momentum from their performance in the Cup. I expect them to keep playing great basketball, and for Giannis to strengthen his case for a potential third career MVP award.
Comments