Thunder and Bucks Secure Spots in NBA Cup Semi-finals

Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks have secured their places in the NBA Cup semi-finals, driven by standout performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 39 points for the Thunder, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA most valuable player, who contributed 37 points for the Bucks. Gilgeous-Alexander was instrumental in the Thunder’s 118-104 triumph over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in their Western Conference quarter-final, sinking five of the team’s season-high 20 three-pointers. Beyond his scoring, he recorded eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. The Thunder established a significant lead in the third quarter, expanding a three-point half-time advantage to a 90-73 score. For the Mavericks, Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall each led their team with 19 points, while fellow player Luka Doncic’s scoring was limited to 16 points. The Thunder are now set to face either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semi-final, as the competition transitions to Las Vegas for its concluding stages. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo’s efforts were central to the Bucks’ hard-fought 114-109 victory against the Orlando Magic in their Eastern Conference quarter-final. Damian Lillard also played a crucial role for Milwaukee, hitting a step-back three-pointer to level the score at 106 with 52.2 seconds remaining, followed by a lay-up and four free throws. Lillard amassed 15 of his total 28 points in the fourth quarter, in addition to providing nine assists. The Bucks, who will compete against either the Atlanta Hawks or the New York Knicks in the final four, previously reached the semi-finals of the inaugural in-season NBA Cup last season, where they were defeated by the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas. “We didn’t have the greatest experience there last year,” said Lillard. “So I think all of us are thinking [about] going back and finishing what we started last year and doing it right this time.”