“Offence wins games, defence wins championships,” is a phrase that’s been said by sports coaches around the world for decades. A phrase that stood firmly true on Tuesday night when the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks cruised past the young Oklahoma City Thunder to take home the 2024 NBA Cup (formerly known as the NBA In-Season Tournament).

The Thunder were struggling offensively from the get-go, particularly from beyond the arc. Yet, their poor shooting didn’t hinder them from keeping things close after two quarters, which saw them trail the Bucks by just one point at 51-50. It’s in the second half where things truly fell apart. While the Thunder’s horrid shooting night continued, the Bucks tightened up their defence and effectively put a stranglehold on an already struggling OKC, who ended the night hitting just five of their thirty-two attempts from three and only 33% of their field goals overall.

These offensive woes didn’t spare MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, either. The fellow Canadian not only struggled to see his shots fall, posting 21 points on an uncharacteristic 33% from the field, but also didn’t share the ball as effectively, raking in just two assists. Ball movement was an issue for the Thunder overall as the team only notched 13 assists. Though in fairness it’s hard to get assists when guys can’t make shots and the team totals only 31 points in the second half.

“No matter win or lose, we know we were going to leave Vegas a better team. I’m so proud of this group,” said Antetokounmpo after the game. And a better team they most certainly are when compared to how the Bucks had started the season. After a 1-4 start, the team has seemingly found their groove and has won nine of their last eleven games. We’ll see if this momentum keeps up come springtime, but for now, the Milwaukee Bucks are the ones to beat in the NBA.