NBA news: Five talking points from the NBA Cup semi-finals as Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder advance

Last weekend saw Las Vegas host the much-anticipated NBA Cup semi-finals.

On Saturday, the Bucks triumphed over the Atlanta Hawks in a close game to book a spot in the NBA Cup final for the first time.

Sunday then saw favourites the Thunder prove too much for the second-ranked Houston Rockets.

Sports News Blitz writer Christian Willis discusses five key talking points from the action at T-Mobile Arena.

Milwaukee Bucks outlast Atlanta Hawks

In the first semi-final match-up, a resurgent Bucks went up against a Hawks team known for causing upsets.

The Bucks were fresh off a quarter-final victory over the Orlando Magic, while the Hawks had defeated the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden thanks to the brilliance of Trae Young.

It was a strong start from the Bucks in Vegas, but the Hawks were soon back in it and the game was a tight, end-to-end affair from there.

With the Bucks entering the fourth quarter trailing, Giannis Antetokounmpo took matters into his own hands, scoring a fadeaway before producing an all-time alley-oop block on Clint Capela to end the semi-final with 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, and four blocks.

As a result, the Bucks are now set for their first-ever NBA Cup final.

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Damian Lillard comes up clutch again

In addition to having twice-MVP Giannis on the books, the Bucks can call on the services of Lillard, who has built up a useful habit of delivering in tight moments.

Against the Magic in the quarter-final, the Bucks were trailing by three with less than a minute to go when Lillard hit a step-back three-pointer to tie the game.

The Bucks fell behind yet again with 35 seconds left, but Lillard drove into the paint and converted a lay-up to claim the lead and with it the game.

Lillard then repeated that performance in the semi-final against the Hawks when, with 30 seconds to go, he brushed past Jalen Johnson to hit a floater two and kill the contest.

Ending the game with 25 points and five three-pointers, the star point guard once again showed a penchant for performing under pressure.

Darvin Ham remains unbeaten in the NBA Cup

Former LA Lakers head coach and current Bucks assistant coach Ham has been back in the headlines of late as his spotless 13-0 NBA Cup record continues.

Last year, despite enduring a miserable campaign, the Lakers managed to win the inaugural NBA Cup under the Michigan native by beating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in Vegas.

After being sacked in the off-season, Ham was recruited to be part of Doc Rivers’ staff at the Bucks, and the rest is history.

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Second-half revival inspires Oklahoma City Thunder victory

The second semi-final between the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder and the second-seeded Houston Rockets was a lively affair involving two talented young teams.

Houston came out firing as Amen Thompson and Jalen Green converted impressive dunks to give the Rockets the lead at half-time.

However, Oklahoma improved greatly thereafter as each of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein hit the 20-point mark to grab the lead.

In the end, the Thunder held out for a 111-96 win and secured a place in the final against the Bucks.

Inside the NBA heads to Las Vegas

Since the early 2000s, Inside the NBA has grown into one of the most highly rated sports talk shows around.

Hosted by Ernie Johnson alongside former players such as Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith, the show offers a perfect blend of analysis, humour, and chemistry.

As part of its semi-finals coverage, the show introduced a segment called ‘Duel in the Dust’ that saw pundits from various organisations go head-to-head in a variety of challenges.

Smith ended up losing the free throw competition to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, much to the tongue-in-cheek disgust of Lillard, although the former NBA champion was throwing left-handed.

The three-point contest was equally disappointing for Inside the NBA fans as Shaq — known for scoring only one three-pointer in his 19-year career — unsurprisingly missed all his attempts in hysterical fashion.

After Warner Bros. had struck a settlement with the NBA to air Inside the NBA on ESPN from next season, such light-hearted festivities served to placate fans who were worried that the show would change for the worse.

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