Bucks vs. Thunder: the key numbers of the NBA Cup final
Check out the numbers you need to know as the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder meet in the NBA Cup Final on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, The NBA Cup final pits the Milwaukee Bucks against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN3/AM850+ in the US).
The Bucks are undefeated in the Cup, while the Thunder have a 3-1 record. Oklahoma City has also had success outside of the tournament, with a 20-5 record, good enough for first place in the Western Conference. Milwaukee struggled to start the season, but is 8-2 in its last 10 games.
The bucks they seem to have found their groove and may have an unconventional edge at their disposal. Assistant coach Darvin Ham has a 13-0 record in NBA Cup games, dating back to his tenure as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Whoever emerges victorious will be crowned the winner of the second NBA Cup. Below, check out the key numbers for the NBA Cup Final.
Age is just a number
The bucks and the Thunder They arrive on Tuesday at opposite ends of the age spectrum.
If measured by playing time (which reflects the age of the players on the court, not just the squad), Milwaukee is the oldest team in the NBA this season, with an average age of 30.21 years old. The Thunder are the fourth youngest team with 24,857only behind the Utah Jazz (24,856), Portland Trail Blazers (24.63) and Washington Wizards (24.08).
That hasn’t made a difference for either team. The top scorer of each team (Giannis Antetokounmpo for Milwaukee and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Oklahoma City) is separated in age by only four years.
Stars amid memorable streaks
0:40
Covering Giannis, the Thunder’s most important mission in the NBA Cup Final
The point guard values OKC’s quality as one of the best teams in triples and the mission of covering the Bucks star.
It’s been a good run for Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Bucks star leads the NBA in points per game (32.7) while the Thunder star is fourth (30.3)both helped by consistent results and a similar shot chart. Antetokounmpo is first in points in the paint per game (21.5), while Gilgeous-Alexander He is fourth (13.3) among qualified players, despite the two having a five-inch height difference.
They enter Tuesday with streaks of 20 points from 23 and 21 games. Antetokounmpo He has scored at least 20 points in every game this season, including a whopping 59 on Nov. 13. Gilgeous-Alexander He has scored 20 in all but one game.
It is just the sixth time in the last 40 seasons that opposing players will face each other while having streaks of 20 points scored in 20 or more games at the time of their matchup. And both counts are safe: the NBA Cup Final does not count towards a player or team’s statistics, therefore it will not count for or against any streak either.
The players left their mark
Damian Lillard he has looked more like himself in his second season with the Bucks.
The point guard has increased his points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage. His 25.7 points per game are his second-best average since the 2020-21 season. It also makes him and Antetokounmpo one of two teammate duos who average 25 points per game each: Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns are the others. For the Thunder, Jalen Williams He has evolved very well in his third season in the NBA. He is averaging career highs in points (21.7), rebounds (6.1), assists (5.0) and steals (2.0) per game. Williams and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic are the only two players currently averaging 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals per game.
However, Williams has been just as, if not more, effective on the defensive end, making him a prime candidate to guard Lillard.
According to Second Spectrum, Williams ranks third among the 175-plus players who have defended at least 35 direct isolations this season, allowing just 0.625 points per direct isolation as a ball-handler defender.
Defense is the name of the game
1:39
Energy and confidence, the keys for Bucks against the Thunder
Bobby Portis points out how Milwaukee should act against OKC in the NBA Cup Final.
Oklahoma City is close to winning the NBA Cup thanks to an elite defense.
The Thunder rank first in defensive efficiency (103.1), steals per game (12.2) and opponent points (103.4) and field goal percentage (42.4%) per game. He has also held opponents under 100 points in a league-high 11 games, going 11-0 in those cases.
Milwaukee’s defense ranks in the middle of the pack in efficiency, but is led by Antetokounmpo and the pivot Brook Lopez.
Antetokounmpo he’s allowing 42.4% field goals as the closest defender according to Second Spectrum, en route to his best finish in the stat since winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20. Lopez is allowing 44.9% field goal attempts in the paint, ranking fourth among the 63 players who have contested at least 150 field goal attempts in the paint this season, according to Second Spectrum.
AM850 Research contributed to this story.
