With four teams left in the NBA Cup 2024, the stage is set for a thrilling semifinal battle. This epic event is scheduled to take place on December 14, 2024. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks, who had a strong regular season performance, qualified for the semifinals from the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets, who also had a commendable regular season, grabbed their spots with a narrow triumph in the quarterfinal. The winner of this battle will advance to the final, which will take place on December 17, 2024. Following a significant reach in the first edition of the NBA Cup 2023, this NBA Cup 2024 creates even more excitement, and that gave a visual treat to all the NBA fans during the intense NBA regular season battle.
In the prior season, the Los Angeles Lakers crowned the first-ever tournament championships, and the Boston Celtics were the reigning NBA Champions, so everyone was expecting that the Lakers would win the championships for the second consecutive time or the Boston Celtics would show an impressive performance and grab the NBA Cup 2024 championships. However, fans’ expectations were shattered when both teams were eliminated in group stage play, a significant event that marked the emergence of new talent and the unpredictability of the tournament, making the winner of this NBA Cup 2024 a fresh face.
Looking back to the quarterfinal recap, the Milwaukee Bucks faced the Orlando Magic by a margin of five points. The Bucks secured the semifinal spot, largely due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s exceptional performance. He led the Milwaukee Bucks by scoring 37 points with seven rebounds and four blocks. Damian Lillard also played a crucial role, adding nine of his 28 points in the last minute of the game. Their combined efforts, along with the team’s strong defense, held off the Magic in the closing seconds to secure the spot in the NBA Cup 2024 semifinals. On the other hand, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the New York Knicks with a score of 108-100. In the first two quarters, the New York Knicks’ dominance was evident, but the Atlanta Hawks, led by [player’s name], outscored them in the third quarter 34-18, which is the actual turnover of the game that led the Hawks to qualify for the semifinals.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Dallas Mavericks. On the game day, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed an exceptional performance with 39 points, eight rebounds, and dishing out five assists. Eventually, their defense was crucial, holding Luka Dončić to just 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting, and they secured the triumph with a score of 118-104. At the same time, the Houston Rockets secured a dramatic win over the Golden State Warriors with a score of 91-90. With just 3.5 seconds left to secure the win, Jalen Green made two crucial free throws that led the Rockets to secure their final spot in the semifinal battle. You can check out our website to stay updated on all sports events.
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks – Event Details
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks
Date: December 14, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET | 1:30 p.m. PT | 3:00 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets – Event Details
Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets
Date: December 14, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. PT | 7:00 a.m. IST (Next Day)
Venue: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
NBA Cup 2024 Prize Money
Quarterfinal losers: $51,497
Semifinal losers: $102,994
Runner-up team members: $205,988
Championship team members: $514,970
Where to Watch the NBA Cup 2024 Semifinals?
Fans can watch the NBA Cup 2024 semifinals battle between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder on ESPN and the ESPN mobile app. While the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks will be available on TNTdrama.com and the TNT mobile app.
Predictions
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Eastern Conference pair, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks, will kickstart their semifinal battle on December 14, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) in the highly anticipated NBA Cup 2024 showdown.
Statistics
- The Milwaukee Bucks has an offensive rating of 117.3 and a defensive rating of 105.5.
- The Atlanta Hawks has an offensive rating of 113.0 and a defensive rating of 109.2.
This NBA Cup 2024 was phenomenal for the Milwaukee Bucks, winning all five NBA Cup matches they won, and in the regular season, they are standing in sixth place with a record of 13-11. While the Atlanta Hawk’s performance was also quite impressive, winning four matches and losing one, they were standing behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season with 14 wins and 12 losses. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks met each other 137 times in the regular season, where the Milwaukee Bucks hold a record of 119-118, but at the same time, the Atlanta Hawks are not an easy opponent to take; they also showed a tough fight against the Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams met on December 5, 2024, at Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, WI), where they ended up in favor of the Atlanta Hawks with a score of 119-104. The Hawks’ dominance was evident in the game as they outscored the opponent in all four quarters.
Jalen Johnson led the Atlanta Hawks with 23 points and 13 rebounds, and in addition to this, De’Andre Hunter added 20 points, and Trae Young contributed 17 points for the team. Despite strong performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Milwaukee Bucks with 30 points and ten rebounds, that wasn’t enough for them to overcome the Atlanta Hawks lead. Over to that game statistics, the Milwaukee Bucks had 78 field goals attempted, 33 field goals made, 40 total rebounds, and 23 assists. While the Atlanta Hawks had 103 field goals attempted, 45 field goals made, 55 total rebounds, and 29 assists. When we look over to their NBA Cup 2024 performance, the Milwaukee Bucks were undefeated, and their offense and defense were well balanced, so considering their recent form, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a slight edge to win this game.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
The Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Houston Rockets will square off on December 14, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV) in the NBA Cup 2024 semifinals.
Statistics
- The Oklahoma City Thunder has an offensive rating of 114.2 and a defensive rating of 102.1.
- The Houston Rockets has an offensive rating of 111.3 and a defensive rating of 102.2.
In the West Group B division, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Spurs, and Jazz are completed. In five games played this season, including the quarterfinals, they won four and lost one match. Over to their regular season performance, this 2024-25 NBA season was an excellent start for the Oklahoma City Thunder. With their incredible performance, they stand ahead in the Eastern Conference with a record of 19 wins and five losses, a lead that they’ve earned through their hard work and dedication. At their home games, they won ten and lost only two matches, and their away performance was also decent, with nine wins and three losses; currently, they are on a four-winning streak. On the other hand, the Houston Rockets won five out of their four matches and lost one. They are in third place in their regular season with 17 wins and eight losses.
At home games, they won ten and lost matches, and at their road games, they won seven and lost five games, and currently, they are on a two-game winning streak. This recent winning streak is a clear indication of their current form and their readiness for the upcoming semifinals. Looking over to their head-to-head matches, they met on December 2, 2024, at the Toyota Center (Houston, TX), and the Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder with a score of 119-116. The first and the fourth quarter lead played a crucial role in their victory. Fred VanVleet led the Houston Rockets with 38 points, two rebounds, and three assists, and Dillon Brooks contributed 16 points, which made a crucial go-ahead jump shot late in the game. However, despite the strong performance of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 32 points, they couldn’t overcome the lead of the Houston Rockets. While reviewing their current form and records, the Oklahoma City Thunder has the upper hand in winning this game.