Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks win to reach NBA Cup semi-finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points for the Milwaukee Bucks, who inspired the team to reach the NBA Cup semifinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit five of his team’s season-high 20 3-pointers in a 118-104 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
He also contributed 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals as the Thunder pulled away in the third quarter and led by 3 points at halftime, leading 90-73.
Klay Thompson and Najee Marshall scored 19 points for the Mavericks, while teammate Luka Doncic scored just 16 points.
They will face either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals when the game moves to Las Vegas for the final stretch.
Antetokounmpo’s performance helped the Bucks defeat the Orlando Magic 114-109 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in Milwaukee.
Damian Lillard was also a key figure for Milwaukee, draining a step-back 3-pointer to tie the game at 106 with 52.2 seconds left, followed by a layup and four free throws.
Lillard scored 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and also contributed nine assists.
The Bucks, who will face the Atlanta Hawks or New York Knicks in the Final Four, reached the semifinals of the inaugural NBA Cup last season before being defeated by the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas.
“We didn’t have the best experience there last year,” Lillard said.
“So I think all of us are thinking about going back and finishing what we started last year and doing it right this time.”
