The 2023 NBA Cup’s knockout phase kicked off with a doubleheader of quarterfinal games on Tuesday night. The Milwaukee Bucks edged past the Orlando Magic, 114-109, in a thrilling contest that saw Damian Lillard score 28 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo add 37 points to lead the team.
The Bucks’ victory marks their second consecutive advancement to the Eastern Conference semifinals. This win also gives them redemption from last season’s semifinal loss to the Indiana Pacers, with Lillard mentioning that his team was eager to “finish what they started” and do it right this time.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Dallas Mavericks, 118-104, behind a barrage of three-pointers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 39 points, including making 20 out of 50 three-point attempts for an even 40% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
The quarterfinals continue on Wednesday night, with two more matchups taking place: New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets. The winners will then face off against the Bucks and Thunder in the semifinals and finals, respectively, set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas starting on Saturday.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/10/sport/bucks-thunder-win-nba-cup-quarterfinals-spt/index.html