Emirates NBA Cup Final 2024: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview
RANT SPORTS– The second season of the Emirates NBA Cup will conclude this Tuesday in Las Vegas, where the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Both teams have overcome the fiercest of rivals to reach this stage as they’ll battle it out to find who is the best in the last game of the 2024 edition.
The Bucks became the only team to reach the semi-finals twice in a row as they beat the Orlando Magic in the quarter-finals. They overcame the Atlanta Hawks to reach the final this year, a feat they failed to accomplish last season.
For Thunder, this was their first semifinal, as they failed to even make it out of the group stage last season. They finished the semis with a comfortable margin against the Houston Rockets in order to proceed to the final matchup of the tournament.
Team News, Form and H2H
Injury remains a major issue for Oklahoma as six of their players remain unfit for the final. Luckily for Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein is doing well, almost a month after returning from his hand injury.
The German-American pivot scored 21 points against the Rockets, helping the team secure a spot in the final. On the market front, Milwaukee has been active in trade discussions but no major moves have taken place or are expected on the road to the final.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 36 points to his name against Houston. Alongside, Shai and Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort also made significant contributions as the Canadian shooting guard scored 31 points in the semi-finals.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be playing the finals in full capacity as no injuries have been reported until now. On the transfer end, Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince have become trade-eligible as of December 15th.
Being notable off-season acquisitions, no move is expected for the American duo before the cup final. As for their last game, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard led the way against the Atlanta Hawks in the semi-finals.
The Greek-Nigerian power forward managed to score 35 points in the semis whereas his American teammate just fell one point short as the point guard finished the game with 34 points to his name.
Last five H2H
| Date | Competition | Final Score |
| 04/13/2024 | NBA | 125-107 to OKC |
| 03/25/2024 | NBA | 118-93 to MIL |
| 10/18/2023 | NBA | 124-101 to OKC |
| 11/10/2022 | NBA | 132-136 to MIL |
| 11/06/2024 | NBA | 108-94 to MIL |
Oklahoma City Thunder Form: W W W W W
Milwaukee Bucks Form: L L W W W
Injuries and Predicted Lineup
| Player Name | Team | Injury | Expected Return |
| Alex Ducas | OKC | Back | December 19 |
| Adam Flagler | OKC | Finger | January 8 |
| Jaylin William | OKC | Hamstring | December 19 |
| Ousmane Dieng | OKC | Finger | December 19 |
| Chet Holmgren | OKC | Hip | January 26 |
| Nikola Topic | OKC | Knee | Out for the season |
Oklahoma City Thunder Predicted Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace; Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams; Isaiah Hartenstein
Milwaukee Bucks Predicted Lineup: Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr.; Taurean Prince, Giannis Antetokounmpo; Brook Lopez
When and where to watch the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Final?
The 2024 NBA Cup final will be played in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena and is set to start at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday, December 17th. US residents can watch the game on ABC whereas info for viewers from other countries can be found below:
| Country | When to watch | Where to watch |
| Spain | 02:30 am, December 18 | Movistar Plus |
| France | 02:30 am, December 18 | beIn Sports |
| Germany | 02:30 am, December 18 | DAZN |
| Italy | 02:30 am, December 18 | NBA League Pass |
| United Kingdom | 01:30 am, December 18 | TNT Sports |