Thunder vs. Bucks: How to watch NBA Cup championship game
12/17/2024 12:21 PM
The NBA’s 83rd game is officially here. The NBA regular season consists of 82 games for every team but two. Those two teams are the teams that advanced all the way to the NBA Cup championship game. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks have advanced to the final game of the NBA’s second-ever in-season tournament, and in this article, we are going to detail everything that you need to know about the championship game.
When and where is the NBA Cup championship?
The NBA Cup championship game serves as an 83rd regular season game, but there is much more on the line than just a win or loss. The winners will not only receive the NBA Cup Trophy, but each player will be rewarded $500,000. Like the semifinal games, the championship game will not see a team with home-court advantage, as the game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
How to watch Thunder vs. Bucks
The NBA Cup championship game will be on ABC, meaning you can also stream it with fuboTV, DirecTV, ESPN+, or Hulu with live TV.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 17 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, Nevada
TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)
Odds: Thunder -200
Preview
Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the inaugural in-season tournament. Although the Lakers had NBA greats LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the Pacers eventually made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals, both teams were somewhat surprising entries to make it that far. No one is surprised by the Thunder and Bucks’ presence in the NBA Cup championship game, though.
The Thunder have been the best team in the Western Conference by a wide margin. They sit at 20-5 thanks to the impressive rebuild that Sam Presti orchestrated. Just a few years ago, the Thunder were losing games and stacking draft picks. Now, they have one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the NBA, and they still have plenty of draft picks for the future, too.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader of the team. Last year’s third-place MVP finisher is again playing at an MVP level, but the talent around him has all stepped up. Jalen Williams has established himself as an All-Star level second option, and free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein has played a huge role while Chet Holmgren has been injured.
Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort are all elite defenders, while Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins have thrived in their roles on offense. The Thunder currently rank first in team defense, only allowing 103.5 points per game. Oklahoma City is currently enjoying a five-game winning streak and victories in nine of their last 10 games.
The Bucks have also been hot recently, though. After a slow start, the team has started to figure things out, and they have won 10 of their last 12 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have looked more like the elite duo that everybody expected them to be during that stretch. Antetokounmpo, like Gilgeous-Alexander, is also firmly in MVP discussion as the NBA’s leading scorer (32.7 points per game).
Khris Middleton, who was battling an injury to start the season, has also returned to the fold. Middleton’s production has been down as he has gotten his feet wet, but he should slowly start to return to form. That might not be until after the NBA Cup championship game, though. Middleton didn’t practice ahead of the game and is questionable because of an illness.
So, who do you think will win the NBA Cup this season? Both teams are hot, but only one will walk away victorious.
The post Thunder vs. Bucks: How to watch NBA Cup championship game appeared first on ClutchPoints.
