CNN
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The second NBA Cup Finals began Tuesday night with a quarterfinal doubleheader.
The first game between the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks, played at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, was a close game, with the Bucks winning 114-109.
Late in the fourth quarter, Bucks guard Damian Lillard took advantage of a breakdown in the Magic’s defense and effortlessly drove to the basket for an uncontested go-ahead layup with less than 33 seconds left in regulation.
The eight-time All-Star had 28 points and nine assists, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s leading scorer, had a game-high 37 points.
This is the second time this season that Milwaukee has advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Bucks’ loss to the Indiana Pacers in last season’s semifinals is fresh in Lillard’s memory.
“I didn’t have the best experience there last year,” the 34-year-old said after his win. “So I think all of us are thinking about going back and finishing what we started last year and doing it right this time.”
Tuesday’s nightcap featured two of the NBA’s top scorers, Luka Doncic, as the Dallas Mavericks traveled north to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder attempted 31 3-pointers in the first half of the game and made 11 of them. OKC only led by three points at intermission despite getting 18 points from Gilgeous-Alexander while holding Doncic to just two points in the first half.
Oklahoma City closed out the game in the third quarter, and the Thunder extended their lead to 20 points as Gilgeous-Alexander continued to be the key to OKC’s offense.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving finally found their offensive rhythm in the fourth and the Mavericks started fighting back. Dallas cut the lead to eight points, but the Thunder kept the Mavs at bay and OKC won 118-104.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 39 points in the game, surpassing Doncic (16 points) and Irving (17 points) combined. The Thunder made a mind-boggling 50 3-pointers, shooting 40% from long range and making 20 of them.
“It had a little bit of a playoff atmosphere, a little more at stake than just a regular season game. I’m proud of the team. I’m proud of the players. We’re in this moment. We came up against a good basketball team and beat a good basketball team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game.
The remaining pair of NBA Cup quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday night.
The opening game will be played at “the most famous arena in the world,” as the New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks, led by Trae Young, who recently played the villain at Madison Square Garden.
In Wednesday’s final game, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will bring their interesting brand of basketball to the table against the upstart Houston Rockets.
The Thunder will await the winner of that game, and the Bucks will face the winner of the Hawks-Knicks tilt.
The semifinal matches will be played on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the final on Tuesday at the same venue.
