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The second edition of the NBA Cup was won by the Milwaukee Bucks. In the final on neutral grounds in Las Vegas, the Bucks defeated opponent Oklahoma City Thunder by a wide margin: 97-81.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the big man on the side of the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored a total of 26 points in a game that was quite evenly matched before halftime.
“This is great for our team,” Antetokounmpo said afterwards. “We’re getting better and we’re leaving Vegas as a better team. I’m so proud of this group.”
Lots of three-pointers
The eventual NBA Cup winner only went into halftime with a one-point lead, but in the second half the Bucks dominated the game, especially by scoring many three-pointers.
In the fourth quarter the lead grew to twenty points, which ended the hope of success for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Milwaukee Bucks were also close to winning the NBA Cup last year, but then lost to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals. The Los Angeles Lakers eventually managed to win the first edition.
Great success
The NBA Cup was introduced in America last year as a new tournament and was an immediate success. Viewing figures in the matches that counted for the NBA Cup shot up by about 20 to 25 percent and stadium visits were also never so high at that time of year.
The players of the Bucks and Oklahoma receive quite a bit of prize money. The winners each receive approximately 500,000 euros and the Thunder players approximately 200,000 euros per person.
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