It will be the Milwaukee Bucks against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup championship game.
The top seeds from the East and West both enjoyed semifinal wins on Saturday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the Bucks to a win over the Atlanta Hawks and the Thunder outlasting the Houston Rockets in a clash of defensive-minded squads.
The championship is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, with a prize pool of more than $500,000 per player up for grabs. The game will not count for regular season standings or stats.
The No. 1 NBA team in defensive rating is the Thunder. The No. 2 NBA team in defensive rating is the Rockets.
They certainly looked the part at T-Mobile Arena. It wasn’t pretty at times, but the Thunder will take it after outlasting Houston in a 111-96 win.
The first half was slow in particular, which ended with the Rockets up 42-41 and both teams shooting below 33% from the field. It was OKC that woke up first, taking a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter and eventually expanding it to 15 points.
The defensive intensity didn’t stop Shai Gilegous-Alexander from hitting 32 points, his 13th 30-point game of the season, plus eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams also contributed at least 19 points each, with Hartenstein getting the better of Rockets standout big man Alperen Şengün (13 points on 6-of-16 shooting, four turnovers, five fouls).
Antetokounmpo finished just shy of a triple-double with 32 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the win. He shot 10-of-15 from the field, too. Damian Lillard wasn’t far behind with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds, though he went just 5-of-14 from behind the arc.
Trae Young did everything possible to keep the Hawks in it in the third quarter after a tight opening half in Las Vegas. He shot 6-of-7 from the field in the period and put the Hawks in the lead entering the final period.
Finally, though, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks surged ahead down the stretch. They mounted a quick 7-1 run late in the fourth quarter, powered by three short buckets from Antetokounmpo, to finally separate from the Hawks. Antetokounmpo sealed the deal in the final minutes, too, with a wild block on Clint Capela at the rim to break up an alley-oop.
Young led the Hawks with a near-triple-double of his own. He finished with 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for Atlanta, which dropped to 14-13 on the season with the loss. Jalen Johnson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and De’Andre Hunter added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC
Here’s how it all went down at Yahoo Sports:
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Among concerns the league has a competition problem, the veteran coach made his stance known after the Bucks advanced past the Hawks to the NBA Cup final: “There’s nothing wrong with saying you want to win something.”
MILWAUKEE — For 31 years, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater has ended every performance of A Christmas Carol with a heartwarming tradition: cast members ask audience members for donations that are then given to a local charity.
Watch: Milwaukee Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ raises donations for Jewish Family Services
Milwaukee Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ raises donations for Jewish Family Services
This year’s chosen charity is Jewish Family Services, an organization that provides support to families in need throughout the community.
I was there when Jenny from the Rep and Jenny from Jewish Family Services celebrated the generosity of the community, which is providing gifts for families in need this holiday season.
Kidd O’Shea
Behind the scenes at Milwaukee Rep, volunteers were busy wrapping presents for their “A Christmas Carol Families” program. The initiative aligns perfectly with the theater’s mission of creating positive change in the community.
“This goes right to our mission of creating positive change in the community, and when we’re doing a play like A Christmas Carol, what better show to be able to use the themes from that production of generosity and compassion over greed to make sure that we’re walking the walk as well when we are saying, ‘Hey community, we should be doing this,’ right? So this is one example of how we can create that change in the community as well,” said Jenny from Milwaukee Rep.
The donations collected from theatergoers will make a significant impact for families served by Jewish Family Services, which has been operating since 1867.
“It’s going to make such a huge difference. These are families facing the harshest of circumstances. We’ve been in existence since 1867, but this year we have such extreme need from all the families we serve,” said Jenny from Jewish Family Services.
Even small contributions from audience members attending the beloved Milwaukee holiday tradition add up to meaningful support for local families.
“To everyone who went to see A Christmas Carol, which is such a holiday tradition here in Milwaukee, and made a donation — maybe it was just $1 or a couple bucks here and there — it all adds up and really is community showing up for community,” I said.
“We’re so grateful to have been chosen this year, and to align our missions like this with the Rep is just a community outpouring of support that is going to go directly to benefit some people who will be very grateful,” said Jenny from Jewish Family Services.
The longstanding tradition demonstrates how the theater continues to give back to Milwaukee, extending the spirit of the holiday classic beyond the stage and into the community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Thanks to generous viewers, TMJ4’s Home 4 the Holidays Virtual Food Drive raised more than $29,000 for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force — money that will help get food on tables this holiday season.
The donations came as the Hunger Task Force reports a 35% increase in traffic at local pantry networks over the past year.
The fundraising effort marks the 10th year that Raymond James, TMJ4, and Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force have partnered for the Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive. The online platform allows people to purchase an assortment of holiday food choices from the comfort of their own home or office.
Gary Sievewright from Raymond James explained why the company continues its annual participation.
Watch: Community raises over $29,000 during Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive
Community raises over $29,000 during Home 4 the Holidays virtual food drive
“It’s part of our culture to be involved in the community, and we just love the need to help people that really have a need for food, right? So this is a passion of ours, it’s a passion of yours. We love the partnership, and we’re happy to raise as much money as we can every year,” Sievewright said.
People can continue making donations by visiting HungerTaskForce.org to help feed families in need this holiday season.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
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In partnership with Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), the Miller Lite Free Rides program returns to Milwaukee as people ring in the new year.
MILWAUKEE – In partnership with Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS), the Miller Lite Free Rides program returns to Milwaukee as people ring in the new year.
The program got its start in 1988 and provides residents with free transportation to celebrate the new year responsibly.
This year’s program is especially meaningful as Miller Lite celebrates its 50th anniversary and the Free Rides program approaches 10 million rides provided nationwide.
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Visit the MCTS website to find the most popular routes. You can also download the UMO app to plan and track your bus in real-time.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Molson Coors Beverage Company.
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