Bucks win NBA Cup vs. Thunder: Why title can be launching pad for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

The Milwaukee Bucks won the 2024 NBA Cup on Tuesday, pulling away from the cold-shooting Oklahoma City Thunder for a 97-81 win in the tournament's title game in Las Vegas. The Bucks star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard led the way, combining for 49 points as Milwaukee capped off a perfect 7-0 run in NBA Cup play. Antetokounmpo, who had a triple-double in the championship game (26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists), was named the tournament's MVP.

Bucks players earned the trophy and a lucrative payday with the win. Milwaukee players will all receive a bonus prize of $514,971 for winning the title as the league upped the NBA Cup prize money in 2024.

But it was the Thunder team the Bucks beat, and the way they beat them, that could end up meaning a lot more to their ultimate goal of competing for an actual championship in the coming months.

Yes, the Thunder were without Chet Holmgren and that changes a lot at the rim, and no, the Thunder, even though they haven't been nearly as sharp from 3 as they were last season, are not going to miss 85% of their 3-pointers in many games (OKC went just 5 for 32 from 3-point range on Tuesday and made just one triple in the first half).

None of that takes away from Milwaukee's performance, which, when we look back upon this season, could very well end up being the night the Bucks' season really kicked into high gear. 

You might argue that has already happened as the Bucks entered Tuesday night having won 12 of their last 15 games. But look at the opponents. Of the 12 wins, only three came against a team that was over .500 at the time, and two of those came with major caveats. A one-point squeaker over the Rockets came courtesy of a game-winning possession the Bucks never should've been gifted in the first place, which the NBA admitted to in its Last Two-Minute Report. 

The other good win on paper came a week ago against a Magic, who were without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, which basically makes them a Big Ten offense. 

In the Cup semifinal, Milwaukee defeated a Hawks team that has been similarly hot, but that's not a measuring-stick opponent if we're being honest. Oklahoma City is, even without Holmgren on the floor, especially considering the Bucks were without Khris Middleton, who is going to have to factor heavily into their half-court formula if they're going to compete with the big boys come April and May. 

The Bucks won this game at the 3-point line, where, as mentioned, the Thunder were ice cold while Milwaukee made 17 of 40 attempts (42%). That's been the theme for a while now. Over these last 15 games, Milwaukee has made 41% of its 3-pointers, the second-best mark in the league. The Bucks have their flaws, but they have a lot of guys who can shoot it, too, and that cures a lot. Right now, they're hot. 

Will it continue? The sheer number of viable shooters suggests it will endure as a strength, even if not at this hot a clip. Damian Lillard, who finished with 23 points and made five of his 10 3s, has looked largely like the player the Bucks expected they were getting when they essentially flipped defense for offense (by swapping Jrue Holiday). Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is probably having the best season of his career, which is certainly saying something for a two-time MVP. 

But something like this Cup run had to happen to stamp some validation on what the Bucks have been doing for the last month. It doesn't mean it'll equate to anything in the long run. The Lakers won the Cup last season and got swept in the first round of the playoffs. Momentum only lasts so long and is only good for so much. 

But the Bucks were a mess to start this season, and they don't look anything like that team right now. They're old, but the top-end talent is still there, especially on a given night. When a team has the talent, good things can always happen. Bad times can always turn around. 

It doesn't mean it can't flip again and start heading back south, and the Bucks still have to show they can beat the good teams if the 3-point disparity isn't so extremely in their favor, but for now the ship is more than steadied. It's actually starting to steam ahead, propelled by Tuesday night, when the Bucks recorded what was easily their best -- and in hindsight could end up being their most important -- win of the season.