Breaking down the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas: Finals preview on tap?

By Ed Graney

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 days ago

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) gets underneath Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu ( ... — Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) gets underneath Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) for a basket during the first half of their NBA Cup semifinal game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dives for a loose ball stolen from Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the second half of their NBA Cup semifinal game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half of their NBA Cup semifinal game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) elevates for a three-point basket between Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) and center Clint Capela (15) during the first half of their NBA Cup semifinal game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) soars to the basket for a score as Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (12) looks on during the first half of their NBA Cup semifinal game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Who: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (ABC)

Where: T-Mobile Arena

Line: Thunder -5; total 215½

Outlook: Some wondered if the second NBA Cup final in Las Vegas would have the same star power as the first one did, when LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers won the title . Not to worry. There’s plenty to love about this year’s matchup. You can start with a red-hot Milwaukee team that is 14-11 after beginning the season 2-8. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and guard Damian Lillard have turned the team around. They built chemistry together and are making life miserable for opposing defenses. The two combined for 57 points in the Bucks’ semifinal win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. “We (all) trust each other now,” said Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP. One of Milwaukee’s only question marks is the status of guard Khris Middleton, who missed Monday’s practice with an illness. Oklahoma City has its own star in point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who may challenge Antetokounmpo for MVP honors this season. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points in his team’s semifinal win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday. His teammate, forward Jalen Williams, added 20 points. The Bucks and the Thunder are by far the best matchup that could have come out of the semifinals. Milwaukee is rolling and Oklahoma City (20-5) has been the Western Conference’s best team since the start of the season. We could be looking at an NBA Finals preview .

Ed Graney Review-Journal