Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines and OKC’s defense dominates Dallas to lift the Thunder into the NBA Cup semis.
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The Emirates NBA Cup enters the final stage with four teams remaining. The race for the NBA Cup and the competition’s Most Valuable Player award concludes in Las Vegas, where the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder will play in the Semifinals.
The action tips off in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 14 with Hawks-Bucks (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT) followed by Rockets-Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), with the winners of each matchup advancing to the championship on Dec. 17 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
The MVP selection “will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.” With relatively few games and only eight total teams advancing out of Group Play, winning matters even more in the sprint for this award.
Here’s a look at which players are claiming the inside track toward tournament MVP honors:
Tournament stats: 32.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 6.6 apg, 2.2 spg
Last Ladder: No. 2
No one could be blamed for changing the order of the top three. The margin is that thin. Gilgeous-Alexander takes the top spot heading into the Semifinals, mostly for having played in all five of his team’s Cup games so far. If his production were to slip or his team lose, the balance could shift to one of the Bucks listed below.
Gilgeous-Alexander put on a superstar masterpiece in the Thunder’s Knockout Rounds victory over Dallas. His 39 points on 65.2% shooting came from all levels (six FGA in the paint, four at mid-range, five beyond the arc). He also chips in on the stingiest defense in the league, and his on-court plus-15.6 leads all players in Cup play.
Tournament Stats: 31.3 ppg, 7 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.5 bpg, 70.6 FG%
Last Ladder: Tied for No. 3
“The Greek Freak” continues to dominate Cup play into the Knockout Rounds, as the injury-riddled Magic found out on Tuesday. A step in the paint and it was all but over, as Antetokounmpo shot 14-for-17 around the basket. He had as many blocks (four) as the Magic did by himself.
Antetokounmpo has been so overwhelming that his Cup-leading 22 turnovers have had little bearing on the outcome. He has doubled down on what makes him great on offense — a career-high 96.3% of his shot attempts this season are 2-pointers, and a career-high 59.2% of his makes are unassisted. He is taking the ball himself, and he is taking it all the way to the rim with devastating effect.
Tournament Stats: 29 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 9.8 apg, 51.5 FG%
Last Ladder: Tied for No. 3
Lillard has been the perimeter half of Milwaukee’s star duo, impressive to the point that his 28-point, nine-assist performance against Orlando almost felt like a letdown at first blush. That’s assuming you didn’t tune in to see “Dame Time” occur in the fourth quarter, with Lillard scoring 15 points by himself to help blunt Magic guard Jalen Suggs’ brilliance down the stretch.
Lillard’s raw stats do not fully account for what his presence brings to the game. Take away his 9.3 attempts from 3-point range on 48.6% shooting in Cup play, and how much less room does Antetokounmpo have to wreak havoc?
Tournament stats: 20.4 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.8 bpg, 51.2 FG%
Last Ladder: Honorable mention
Johnson has made the “leap” on which so many team executives, coaches and fans hang their hopes. He is a do-it-all swingman, one of the rarest and most valuable skill sets in the NBA. Score, rebound, play-make, defend — he can and will do it, all while leading Atlanta in minutes per game (37.3) in Cup play.
Johnson was superb in a competitive Knockout Rounds win against New York on Wednesday. The Hawks were outscored by eight in the nearly seven minutes he rested. When he played, he produced, finishing with 21 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Opposing teams should be terrified if/when his outside shooting climbs above the league average.
Tournament stats: 20.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 7 apg, 2 spg, 47 FG%
Last Ladder: Honorable mention
Houston’s rapid rise features delightfully combustive talent and performances from a stable full of talent. Sengun is the dependable hub holding it together on offense. His awareness of cutters and shooters is vital for a team full of cutters and shooters, and his team-leading plus-minus (12.0 over five games) tells a fraction of the story.
Sengun’s high-IQ play was on full display in a thrilling Knockout Rounds win against the veteran Warriors. His strong fourth quarter — six points, two assists and a steal in seven minutes — included the score that kept Houston alive before Jalen Green’s heroics in the final seconds.
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Matt Petersen is an interactive producer for NBA.com.
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