Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder while Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points for the Milwaukee Bucks as they inspired their teams to reach the NBA Cup semifinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander made five of his team’s 20 three-pointers in its 118-104 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
He also contributed eight rebounds, five assists and three steals as the Thunder pulled away in the third quarter when they turned a three-point halftime advantage into a 90-73 lead.
Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall scored with 19 points for the Mavericks, while teammate Luka Doncic was limited to 16 points.
They will face either the Golden State Warriors or the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals when the competition moves to Las Vegas for the final stages.
In Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo’s heroics helped the Bucks earn a hard-fought 114-109 victory over the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Damian Lillard was also key for Milwaukee as he made a step-back three-pointer to tie the game at 106 apiece with 52.2 seconds left before adding a layup and four free throws.
Lillard scored 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and also contributed nine assists.
The Bucks, who will face the Atlanta Hawks or the New York Knicks in the final four, reached the semi-finals of last season’s inaugural NBA Cup before being beaten by the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas.
“We didn’t have the best experience there last year,” Lillard said.
“So I think we’re all thinking about going back and finishing what we started last year and doing it well this time around.”
