LAS VEGAS — The Milwaukee Bucks superior to the finals of the NBA Cup with a 110-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday — the primary of two back-to-back Cup semifinal video games being performed in Las Vegas.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 32 factors, 14 rebounds and 9 assists, whereas Damian Lillard added 25 factors. Milwaukee avenged its loss from final yr’s semis after they have been overwhelmed by the Indiana Pacers a recreation earlier than the ultimate.
“Accept the problem, that’s all I’ve been speaking about,” coach Doc Rivers stated about his group’s strategy to the Cup. “I feel we run from challenges so much, and we talked about it; Let’s settle for it. Let’s put our identify on the market. We’re going to attempt to win it, and if we don’t win it, we don’t win it. But there’s nothing incorrect with saying you need to win one thing, and should you win it, nice, and should you don’t, a minimum of you went for it.”
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Saturday’s recreation was a back-and-forth affair between two of the most well liked groups within the East. Milwaukee entered having gained 10 of its final 13 video games, whereas the Hawks had gained seven of their final eight.
The Hawks have additionally been robust in opposition to the groups with the very best data within the East. They are undefeated in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks (4-0) and 1-1 in opposition to the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The groups traded leads within the first three quarters — Atlanta led by two after the primary, the Bucks by six at halftime, after which the Hawks have been up one earlier than the fourth.
Milwaukee was the higher group down the stretch, nonetheless. After a De’Andre Hunter free throw minimize the Bucks’ result in 98-96 with 4 minutes and 32 seconds to go, Milwaukee completed the sport on a 12-6 run, particularly clamping down defensively.
The play of the evening was a block by Antetokounmpo on a lob move that will have minimize his group’s result in three.
The three-point line additionally made an enormous distinction for the Bucks. The two groups have been even in turnovers and factors within the paint, whereas Atlanta had an edge in free throws. But Milwaukee tried 21 extra threes than the Hawks, and made 4 extra in what ended up solely an eight-point win.
“Last time we have been prepared, however this time we got here into it remembering our final expertise,” Lillard stated after the sport. “We got here appropriate. We knew it wasn’t going to be straightforward enjoying in opposition to a great group, however we ready, and it simply felt acquainted. Didn’t really feel like a random, new factor.”
The Cup championship berth is a pleasant turnaround for the Bucks, who began the season 4-9, together with a six-game shedding streak after successful their first recreation. Rivers stated the current enchancment is what he anticipated from his veteran-laden group.
“Listen, outdoors Milwaukee, I feel lots of people was, ‘What’s occurring?’” Rivers stated. “I don’t suppose one particular person inside thought that in any respect. We simply believed that it was going to click on, it was going to occur — I’d make a degree of claiming we assumed that — now it’s, however we nonetheless received a protracted solution to go.”
