LAS VEGAS — Matapos ang Los Angeles Lakers noong isang taon ay ang Milwaukee Bucks naman ang nagkampeon sa NBA Cup.
Kumolekta si tournament MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ng triple-double na 26 points, 19 rebounds at 10 assists para akayin ang Bucks sa 97-81 pagrapido sa Oklahoma City Thunder at angkinin ang NBA Cup title.
Umiskor si Damian Lillard ng 23 points para sa Bucks na nagsalpak ng 17 three-point shots para dominahin ang Thunder.
“We know we’re leaving Vegas as a better team. I’m so proud of this group. Man, I’m so proud of this group, ani Antetokounmpo.
Tumanggap ang mga Milwaukee players ng premyong $514,971 bawat isa at may $205,988 naman ang mga Oklahoma City players.
“Everybody did their job,” ani Lillard. “We defended. We played well from the start of the game all the way through the finish. I think it just showed what we’ve been building. I think it all came out in our biggest game to this point.”
Nagdagdag sina Brook Lopez at Gary Trent Jr. ng tig-13 markers para sa Bucks na sinamahan ang Lakers bilang kampeon ng 2-year-old event.
Binanderahan ni Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ang Thunder sa kanyang 21 points habang may 18 markers si Jalen Williams.
Ang inihulog na 19-5 bomba ng Milwaukee sa second half ang nagpalobo sa kanilang 19-point lead sa kaagahan ng fourth period at hindi na nakalapit ang Oklahoma City.
“We did some good things. We outscored them in the paint so obviously we did the job defensively on that end,” wika ni Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.