The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Cup on Tuesday with a 97-81 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game. Despite winning the second installment of the league’s in-season tournament, the Bucks chose not to celebrate the accomplishment with the dousing of champagne in the locker room after the game.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said the team chose not to celebrate with the traditional champagne celebration, and wanted to focus on the remainder of the season instead.
Rivers reportedly came to that conclusion after speaking with assistant coach Darvin Ham, who served as the Los Angeles Lakers coach when they won the NBA Cup last season. The Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers to win the 2023 NBA Cup with Ham at the helm, but ended up being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in five games in the opening round of the 2024 postseason.
Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. Antetokounmpo earned NBA Cup MVP honors for his sensational performance, and even delivered a passionate speech in the locker room after the game in which he reminded his teammates they won $500,000 apiece with the NBA Cup title.
Winning the NBA Cup certainly isn’t a small accomplishment for the Bucks, but the franchise clearly is more concerned with attempting to win another NBA title later this season.
