NBA Cup Semifinals: Bucks Triumph Over Hawks with Giannis and Dame's Stellar Performance
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Las Vegas, Dec 15 (NationPress) The Milwaukee Bucks punched their ticket to the NBA Cup finals following a 110-102 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday (IST).
The league's leading scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again the primary contributor for his team, finishing with 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and falling just one assist short of a triple-double.
In a postgame interview, Giannis stated, “The only thing that matters is to get a win, and that’s the message within our team right now, and everybody's got to stay locked in.”
Teammate Damian Lillard also made a significant impact, contributing 25 points to the scoreline. The Hawks struggled offensively against the Bucks, with only Trae Young finding consistent success. The 26-year-old guard recorded 35 points with an incredible 14-17 shooting performance, resulting in an 82.4% field goal percentage.
This victory allowed the Bucks to overcome the semi-final barrier after falling short in the inaugural tournament against the Indiana Pacers.
Lillard reflected on their performance, saying, “We came correct this time.”
The NBA has effectively boosted viewership in the early season with the NBA Cup, incentivizing players to excel consistently. The champions earn 514,971 USD per player, while the runners-up receive 205,988 USD. Teams eliminated in the semifinals get 102,994 USD per player. However, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers emphasized that the victory held greater significance than just financial rewards.
Rivers remarked, “It’s not about the money; it’s about the competition.” He noted the warmth from the rookies celebrating the win as if it were an important game.
