Bucks dismantle ice-cold Thunder to win NBA Cup

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 on Tuesday to win the second annual NBA Cup in Las Vegas.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a dominant performance, recording a 26-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to capture NBA Cup MVP honors. He won the award unanimously.

Damian Lillard added 23 points, including five 3-pointers.

Antetokounmpo joins LeBron James as the only players with MVP trophies from the regular season, Finals, All-Star Game, and NBA Cup.

Bucks players will receive $514,970 each for the NBA Cup victory, while each Thunder player will get $205,988 for making the final.

"We're getting better," Antetokounmpo said during the trophy presentation. "The last 15 games we've played, we've competed, we've played team basketball, we've trusted one another ... We're playing good basketball."

He added: "The job's not done. We have a lot of basketball in front of us."

Antetokounmpo said he was happy for Lillard after winning their first trophy together, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.

"This is just the beginning," Antetokounmpo added.

Milwaukee won without forward Khris Middleton, who missed the contest with an illness.

The Bucks struggled out of the gates this season, going 2-8 over the first 10 games. But Milwaukee has improved over the course of the campaign, reaching a 14-11 record - though the Cup victory doesn't count in its win total.

To reach the final game of the in-season tournament, the Bucks had to beat the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks in the knockout stage after going undefeated in group play. They reached the semifinals last season, losing to the eventual finalist Indiana Pacers.

Oklahoma City hadn't scored fewer than 99 points in a game this season prior to Tuesday's contest. The Thunder struggled in the second half, scoring only 31 points. They also misfired from deep, going 5-of-32 from beyond the arc.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. Jalen Williams recorded 18 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 16.

"When you lose a game like tonight, it gives you wisdom," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said, according to team reporter Nick Gallo. "It gives you information on yourselves. As long as we're growing through all those experiences, then we'll gain momentum as the season goes on with a young team and a team that's growing through everything."

The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup last season under current Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham. Milwaukee forward Taurean Prince became the first back-to-back Cup winner, as he was on the Lakers last campaign.