LAS VEGAS — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 factors and completed an help shy of a triple-double, but it surely was his “profitable performs” down the stretch that helped will the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to clinch a spot within the NBA Cup championship recreation.
Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 blocks, together with a spectacular rejection of an alley-oop dunk from Clint Capela on the rim with 2:35 remaining within the recreation, preserving what was then a five-point Bucks lead. Antetokounmpo additionally drew reward from his teammates and training employees for diving on a unfastened ball to safe a steal and stop the ball from going out of bounds with about 6:30 remaining within the fourth.
“Winning performs,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated after the sport. “You cannot script any of that stuff earlier than the sport, however you simply acquired to maintain instructing that it simply takes what it takes each evening.”
Milwaukee advances to the championship recreation on Tuesday evening, avenging a loss in final season’s semifinals in Las Vegas to the Pacers. The Bucks are 11-1 all time in NBA Cup video games and can face the winner of Houston/Oklahoma City.
“I’ll do no matter it takes to win a recreation,” Antetokounmpo stated after the sport. “I’m blissful that I did, as a result of I really feel prefer it translated to the entire workforce. You acquired to do no matter is critical to shut this one out. I’m simply happy with my teammates. The method we began the sport, we type of set the tone that we have been right here to compete.”
Several Bucks gamers stated the workforce arrived to Las Vegas extra centered this season, able to settle what Antetokounmpo referred to as “unfinished enterprise” from final season, but in addition to care for enterprise in an environment that might simulate a playoff recreation.
“We most likely regarded slightly sharper this time round,” stated Bucks star Damian Lillard, who added 25 factors and 7 assists. “This time we got here into it remembering our final expertise. We got here appropriate. We knew it wasn’t going to be straightforward enjoying towards workforce, however we ready, and it simply felt acquainted.”
The Hawks really had the lead heading into the fourth quarter, due to a masterful efficiency from Trae Young, who had 14 factors within the third interval. But Milwaukee outscored Atlanta 12-3 throughout clutch time to seal the win. Young completed with 35 factors, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and though the Hawks have been getting ready to go residence after the loss, Young stated he was happy with what the workforce had achieved by making a run to the Cup semifinals.
“What we have now carried out on this Cup was actually, actually particular, actually good,” Young stated. “We’ve actually discovered the best way we need to play and found out the tempo we need to play at.
“It’s been good. I really feel like this Cup was actually good for us. For a younger workforce to go so far as we did, we will actually use this as hopefully momentum going into the remainder of the season.”
Making it to the championship was additionally an accomplishment for the Bucks, particularly contemplating they began the season with a 2-8 report by way of their first 10 video games. But additionally Rivers made it clear for weeks that the Bucks have been taking goal on the NBA Cup and deliberate on profitable it.
“It’s a contest, man, and also you need your workforce to be aggressive,” Rivers stated. “You need them to just accept the problem, that is all I’ve been speaking about…. That’s what I’m happy with for our guys.
Even within the aftermath of their victory Saturday, Antetokounmpo supplied his workforce a reminder that they nonetheless had yet another recreation to win and take residence the championship, invoking one other late NBA legend: Kobe Bryant when he stated “the job’s not completed.”
“The solely factor that issues proper right here is to get a win, and that is the message inside our workforce proper now,” Antetokounmpo stated. “Everybody acquired to remain locked in. Everybody acquired to remain locked in; the job’s not carried out.”
