Suns' Kevin Durant, Mike Budenholzer get real on NBA Cup title game
12/17/2024 07:24 PM
The NBA Cup championship game is set to commence Tuesday night, but the Phoenix Suns won’t be a part of it. Luckily, Kevin Durant will be enjoying the game from his comfort. Following Tuesday’s practice, Durant was asked by Connor Moreno of Burn City Sports if he’s excited about the title game.
“I am. The suspense of the cup has been amazing, and the games have been great. Teams that have put forth the effort want to win the cup. I heard Damian Lillard say that in a few years, more and more people are going to start getting on board with the cup. I agree because each year is getting more and more exciting, and I want to experience that in (Las) Vegas.
“It’s another entity within the NBA that I want to be a part of and experience along with All-Star weekends, NBA championships, and all of this stuff that the NBA. It’s dope that we can get to watch those guys on the main stage right now. This is only going to push the NBA Cup forward.”
The Suns were eliminated from the tournament despite going 3-1. They didn’t meet the point differential and didn’t advance. In the final game, Durant suffered an ankle injury, which hurt the Suns’ chances of meeting the differential. The Dallas Mavericks took their spot and lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the quarterfinals. With this being the second year of the NBA Cup, there’s room for improvement. Still, players across the league have taken a liking to the tournament.
Although the $500,000 grand prize is a nice incentive, players love the competitiveness it brings. Going back to the point differential, it means teams will play for a full 48 minutes. Even if they’re up by 20 or 30 points, there’s an incentive to run up the score.
Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer have taken an interest in the NBA Cup
On the flip side, head coach Mike Budenholzer will be watching his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, compete in the title game. The first-year Suns coach has been positive about the tournament the entire season. After all, it’s the first that he’s participated in. Much like Durant, the coach confirmed his status for the game.
“I watched a little bit of the other day… lots of times we’re playing, it feels like,” Budenholzer said. “Tonight, I’m going to say yes. I’m going to tune in tonight and see how it goes. Oklahoma City and Milwaukee are two good teams. They’ve earned their spot in it. It’s always good to see the top teams in our league go against each other.”
Phoenix was one of those top teams earlier in the season, posting a 9-2 record. Then, the injury bug swept through the team. Durant and Bradley Beal suffered injuries that led the Suns into a five-game losing skid. Luckily, they were able to bounce back and are currently sixth in the Western Conference.
Either Durant, Budenholzer or the rest of the Suns squad can become fans for the night. After all, this is the sport that they love. And as Budenholzer mentioned, two of the top teams in the league are competing. The top defensive team in the Thunder against a high-powered Bucks offense with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard should be entertaining.
Unfortunately, they’ll be sitting this one out and watching the top team in the West take on the rising Milwaukee squad. Regardless, making the trip to Las Vegas might be on the top of Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer’s minds heading into next season.
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