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Bucks Advance to NBA Cup Final After Thrilling Win Over Hawks

Ricardo Klein

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks will advance to their first NBA Cup finals for the first time ever.

The Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks in a thrilling win on Saturday, with a final score of 110-102. The Bucks failed to advance to the final last year and will now have a chance to win their first-ever NBA Cup, plus $514,971 to players who win.

The Bucks showed up and showed out in their first game in Vegas, and they were led by none other than their superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo was his usal dominat self as he reocrded 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine aissts and four blcoks in 38 crucal minutes., Antetokounmpo finished the game with a +3 in the plus/minus category.

After the game, Antetokounmpo said that he and his group must stay focused on the ultimate prize.

"We've changed our season around, but we've gotta keep going," Antekounmnpo said in a postgame interview with TNT.

As for Lillard, he recorded 25 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in 37 minutes of action. Lillard shot 8-for-21 from the field and 5-for-14 from three.

The Bucks are now 14-11 in the season and have won 10 of their last 12 games. Although their next game won't count toward their record, they have a chance to be the NBA Cup champions and take home half a million dollars.

The payouts are slightly higher than last year's in-season tournament, which is in accordance with the league's CBA, which states that the prize money will increase by taking the base number from the first year of the NBA Cup and multiplying it by the "Basketball Related Income" (BRI) growth factor.

The win was huge for the Bucks, and in the process, Antetokounmpo surpassed Bob Lanier to move up to No. 60 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

As for the others, center Brook Lopez ended his five-game streak of fewer than 10 points. On Saturday, he recorded 16 points, which marked his first game this month he scored more than 10 points.

Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham remains undefeated in NBA Cup play. Last season as head coach for the Lakers, he recorded a 7-0 record in NBA Cup play to win the inaugural NBA Cup tournament.

The Bucks will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets for the cup title on Tuesday.

More Bucks: Bucks' Damian Lillard Makes Bold Statement Regarding NBA Cup Chances

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Ricardo Klein
RICARDO KLEIN

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