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:
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER55 updates
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 Police Department (MPD)
MILWAUKEE – A person was beaten to death in Milwaukee overnight on Sunday, Nov. 23.
What we know:
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, at about midnight, the 47-year-old victim got into a physical altercation with other people and was struck multiple times on the front and back of the head.
The altercation happened near 11th and Locust.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
The victim was taken to a local hospital by an associate of theirs, but suffered fatal head injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
What you can do:
Police are looking for those responsible.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or use the P3 Tips app.
The Source: The Milwaukee Police Department sent FOX6 the information.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be without some key cogs against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
More news: Doc Rivers Credits NBA All-Star-Turned-Bucks Assistant with Big Impact
Per the Bucks’ official X account, the club will still be missing nine-time All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, starting point guard (for now) Kevin Porter Jr., and reserve 3-and-D forward Taurean Prince due to injury. Giannis’ little brother, Alex, will be putting in reps with the Bucks’ NBAGL affiliate in Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd.
Injury Update: Kyle Kuzma (Illness) is questionable for tonight’s game vs. Detroit.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 22, 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to miss the next one-to-two weeks of action, at least, with a low-grade left groin strain. The two-time league MVP had previously been shelved because of nagging knee tendinitis, which cost him two games prior to this latest ailment.
When he has been available this year (in 13 games so far), the 2021 Finals MVP has been averaging 31.2 points on .629/.500/.636 shooting splits, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.9 steals a night.
Obviously, missing the Bucks’ best player will prove costly against the hottest team in the league. Detroit is in the midst of an 11-game win streak, and doesn’t seem likely to drop even a road matchup in Milwaukee, at least without the threat of Antetokounmpo.
Prince, meanwhile, underwent neck surgery to treat a herniated disc, and could be unavailable for multiple months as he recuperates.
Porter, anointed to be nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard’s positional successor at the starting point guard spot heading into the year, has missed all but one game for Milwaukee. The 6-foot-4 USC product first sprained his ankle during the Bucks’ season opener, and then tore his meniscus in his rehab ramp-up. Without Porter, Ryan Rollins has stepped up.
Rollins’ development likely signifies the end of Porter’s tenure as his club’s starting point guard, especially the longer his recovery drags on. Through 16 games, the 23-year-old University of Toledo alum has been averaging 18.3 points on .511/.443/.800 shooting splits, 5.9 dimes, 3.9 boards and 1.6 swipes per bout.
Per the team, newly-minted starting small forward Kyle Kuzma has seen his status demoted to questionable ahead of the Pistons clash, as he may be struck down by a new, unspecified illness.
According to the league’s latest injury report, Pistons power forward Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain) and shooting guard Jaden Ivey (return to competition reconditioning) are questionable to play. Combo forward Bobi Klintman (left ankle sprain), power forward Isaac Jones (G League assignment), guard Marcus Sasser (right hip impingement), and two-way players Wendell Moore Jr. and Tolu Smith (on assignment to Detroit’s G League squad) are all out.
For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee celebrated the lighting of its 112th annual Christmas tree Thursday evening in the Deer District, marking the second-longest-running Christmas tree lighting tradition in the United States behind only New York City.
The 42-foot Colorado blue spruce, donated by Kaitlyn Schmidt Thabet and Amgad Thabet, was transformed with vibrant jewel tones, large reflective metallic ornaments, oversized snowflakes and lighted stars inspired by the theme “Shining Together.”
“This tree stands as a celebration of Milwaukee’s incredible spirit during the winter season,” said David Caruso, designer of the Christmas tree and local event planner and TV host. “My hope is that it fills your evening and your holidays with light, joy and pride.”
Watch the full tree lighting ceremony:
Milwaukee lights 112th annual Christmas tree in historic Deer District celebration
Mayor Cavalier Johnson emphasized the historic significance of the event during his remarks to the crowd gathered in the Deer District.
“Tonight is special, not just because the holiday brings people together, but because this is a historic night for Milwaukee,” Johnson said. “Our Christmas tree lighting in the City of Milwaukee is the second-longest-running Christmas tree lighting in the United States of America, only behind New York City.”
The celebration featured performances by the Reagan High School varsity Drumline and entertainment by Guyton Entertainment and DJ YC.
Santa Claus made a special appearance, accompanied by his reindeer. Another famous deer — Bucks mascot Bango, also took part in the celebration.
Peter Feigin, president of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum, expressed pride in hosting the tree lighting in the Deer District.
“This is what we dreamed about when we built the Deer District,” Feigin said. “This is one of the greatest things.”
The celebration concluded with the mayor’s family and other children helping to officially light the tree, continuing Milwaukee’s 112-year tradition of bringing the community together for the holidays.
The event also launched the new Deer District Holiday Market, which runs through November 30 in the beer garden area. The market features local makers, food and drinks.
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.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip
Fire survivors can use this new portal to rebuild faster and save money
France and Germany support simplification push for digital rules
Court documents shed light on Indiana shooting that sparked stand-your-ground debate
Calls for answers grow over Canada’s interrogation of Israel critic
2% of Russian global oil supply affected following Ukrainian attack
Sinclair Snaps Up 8% Stake in Scripps in Advance of Potential Merger
Amazon’s Zoox offers free robotaxi rides in San Francisco
Duckworth fires staffer who claimed to be attorney for detained illegal immigrant with criminal history
