It will be the Milwaukee Bucks against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup championship game.
The top seeds from the East and West both enjoyed semifinal wins on Saturday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the Bucks to a win over the Atlanta Hawks and the Thunder outlasting the Houston Rockets in a clash of defensive-minded squads.
The championship is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, with a prize pool of more than $500,000 per player up for grabs. The game will not count for regular season standings or stats.
Shai Gilegous-Alexander goes off while Thunder grind down Rockets
The No. 1 NBA team in defensive rating is the Thunder. The No. 2 NBA team in defensive rating is the Rockets.
They certainly looked the part at T-Mobile Arena. It wasn't pretty at times, but the Thunder will take it after outlasting Houston in a 111-96 win.
The first half was slow in particular, which ended with the Rockets up 42-41 and both teams shooting below 33% from the field. It was OKC that woke up first, taking a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter and eventually expanding it to 15 points.
The defensive intensity didn't stop Shai Gilegous-Alexander from hitting 32 points, his 13th 30-point game of the season, plus eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams also contributed at least 19 points each, with Hartenstein getting the better of Rockets standout big man Alperen Şengün (13 points on 6-of-16 shooting, four turnovers, five fouls).
Giannis Antetokounmpo overwhelm the Hawks
Antetokounmpo finished just shy of a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the win. He shot 10-of-15 from the field, too. Damian Lillard wasn’t far behind with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds, though he went just 5-of-14 from behind the arc.
Trae Young did everything possible to keep the Hawks in it in the third quarter after a tight opening half in Las Vegas. He shot 6-of-7 from the field in the period and put the Hawks in the lead entering the final period.
Finally, though, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks surged ahead down the stretch. They mounted a quick 7-1 run late in the fourth quarter, powered by three short buckets from Antetokounmpo, to finally separate from the Hawks. Antetokounmpo sealed the deal in the final minutes, too, with a wild block on Clint Capela at the rim to break up an alley-oop.
Young led the Hawks with a near-triple-double of his own. He finished with 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for Atlanta, which dropped to 14-13 on the season with the loss. Jalen Johnson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and De’Andre Hunter added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
How to watch NBA Cup championship game in Las Vegas
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Here's how it all went down at Yahoo Sports:
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER55 updates
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Vincent Goodwill
'I want us to put our names on it'
Among concerns the league has a competition problem, the veteran coach made his stance known after the Bucks advanced past the Hawks to the NBA Cup final: "There's nothing wrong with saying you want to win something."
Click the photo to read more about the Bucks' win to advance them into the NBA Cup championship. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Jabari Smith Jr.: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Dillon Brooks: 14 points, 5 rebounds
Ryan Young
FINAL: Thunder 111, Rockets 96
The Thunder are headed to the NBA Cup championship game. They’ll take on the Bucks on Tuesday night.
Ryan Young
We had a brief "tussle" between Sengun and Wallace, who got into a brief shoving match, but it ended without much happening. Double technicals have been handed out after a review, and we carry on.
Ryan Young
That’s a 10-3 run from the Thunder, and their lead is suddenly up to 13 at the midway point of the fourth quarter. They’re just six minutes away from securing a spot in the title game against the Bucks.
Vincent Goodwill
We talk a lot about Jabari Smith not filling those early expectations but man, that kid plays hard and goes after it on defense. I’m taking stock on anyone who’s selling.
Vincent Goodwill
If there is one critique of SGA, and there won’t be many, sometimes he’s looking for the foul more than the bucket,
Vincent Goodwill
The shooting hasn’t improved, with Houston at 34% and OKC at 41%. Super competitive game in terms of feel.
Ryan Young
End of 3: Thunder 75, Rockets 69
Both teams finally seem to have settled in. SGA is up to 24 points to lead the Thunder, and Amen Thompson has 15 for Houston off the bench. Alperen Sengun is still at just four points for the Rockets while shooting 2-of-10 from the field.
Ryan Young
Steven Adams is headed to the locker room now after an awkward fall under the rim.
Ryan Young
That's an 11-0 run for Oklahoma City over the last 90 seconds or so, and it looks like we finally have some movement. SGA, Dort and Williams all hit 3-pointers for the Thunder.
Ryan Young
Hartenstein tipped in a bucket for the Thunder, and the third quarter is officially underway. We'll see if the offense picks up across the board here soon.
Ryan Young
HALF: Rockets 42, Thunder 41
Amen Thompson leads all scorers with 13 points off the Rockets’ bench, and SGA has 12 points to lead the Thunder. He’s shot 3-of-12 from the field.
Both teams have combined for six 3-pointers, and neither team is shooting better than 33%. This is also the fewest points that the Thunder have put up in a half all season.
Ryan Young
SGA is still struggling to get anything to fall. He just missed a layup, but drew a pretty weak foul to get to the line. He then split his free throws.
It’s a rough night for him. He’s just 1-of-9 from the field now with seven points.
Oklahoma City and Houston will square off in the second semifinals game in about 90 minutes or so. The winner will take on the Bucks for the NBA Cup on Tuesday.
This foul merchant stuff has to stop. It’s one of the things that makes a game ugly. Nobody wants to see this.
Vincent Goodwill
This is about as competitive a game as the NBA could’ve hoped for. A one-point game to start the fourth.
Ryan Young
End of 3: Hawks 83, Bucks 82
Trae Young went off in the third quarter, and helped the Hawks take their first lead since the opening sequence of the second period. He’s up to 26 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds now.
We’re in for a good finish here in Vegas. End of 3: Hawks 83, Bucks 82
Vincent Goodwill
It’s amazing, Trae Young has had a horrible shooting season, the worst of his career, but is torching everything tonight. He's 7-of-12, 3-of-4 from 3. 26-8-7 now in the third quarter trying to keep the Hawks in it.
Ryan Young
Clint Capela just completely stuffed Giannis and then finished at the other end. The Hawks, though, still trail 70-64 midway through the third quarter.
Clint Capela PROTECTING on one end and finishing on the other 💪🔥
In attendance: Not particularly long or imposing but he packs a punch: Floyd Mayweather
Vincent Goodwill
You can see why the Hawks are competitive, particularly on defense. They’re not intimidating or imposing, but their wings are long and aggressive. They cover a lot of space and shut off passing lanes.
Ryan Young
Now that he's 30, Giannis Antetokounmpo is eyeing another MVP award. He's dominating like never before, and is leading the charge tonight in Las Vegas.
Click the photo for more on Giannis' latest MVP push from Vincent Goodwill earlier this month.
Click the photo for more on Giannis' latest MVP push from Vincent Goodwill earlier this month. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Ryan Young
Half: Bucks 55, Hawks 49
Giannis leads all scorers with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists at the midway point. Damian Lillard is the only other Bucks player in double figures with 10 points, though he’s shot just 3-of-13 from the field.
Trae Young leads the Hawks with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Vincent Goodwill
This feels like a pro-Hawks crowd. Then you remember, the Falcons are playing the Raiders in Vegas this weekend. There was a lot of Falcons gear on folks walking around the city last night and today.
Ryan Young
And right on time, here comes Dame. That's back-to-back 3-pointers from him now, including this one from deep.
I wonder if the lighting at T-Mobile Arena is messing with the shooting. Dame Lillard is 2-for-9 from the field and 1-for-6 from the 3-point line so far.
Vincent Goodwill
Not sure if it’s playing on TV, but the atmosphere is picking up some and the building has filled. It was just a slow arriving crowd.
Vincent Goodwill
AJ Green’s nickname, according to basketball reference, is Dairy Bird … I have thoughts. But he can play.
He just powered the Bucks on a 10-0 run to start the second quarter with back-to-back 3s. The Bucks are up 36-28 now.
Ryan Young
End 1: Hawks 28, Bucks 26
The Hawks rallied back to take a slight lead after the first quarter. Trae Young leads the way with 10 points and five assists, though seven of his points have come from the free throw line. Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks with seven points, six rebounds and four assists.
Ryan Young
The Hawks have fought back to take a 18-12 lead after their slow start. Half of their points have come from Trae Young.
Vincent Goodwill
Not sure if he’s known more as a podcaster or rapper, but Cam’ron just arrived sitting courtside across from the benches.
Ryan Young
The Bucks came to play. They opened the game on a quick 7-0 burst, and the Hawks have to call a timeout after a huge Giannis layup.
For a half the Knicks were in full control of their NBA Cup game against the Hawks. But Atlanta stormed back with a third-quarter outburst to advance to Las Vegas.
Marshall pulled out of the bowl due to a lack of players, with numerous players entering the transfer portal and coach Charles Huff now at Southern Miss.
The NBA world has been enraptured all week by the idea of Miami Heat SF/SG Jimmy Butler being available in trade rumors. Kevin O'Connor is joined as always on Fridays by Yahoo Sports NBA contributor Tom Haberstroh to discuss a handful of landing spots, which ones seem likely, which don't and which teams have surprisingly not been mentioned at all.
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