NBA Cup — Day 8

 Hello, I’m Carlos Andres Segrera, and this is the NBA from the mind of a high schooler.

Now that Thanksgiving break has come to an end, these next two Cup blogs are going to be hectic to write, but we get it done. Last night was the first 2 (of 4) quarterfinal matchups. The Bucks took on the Magic, and the Thunder matched up with the Mavericks. These two games were the 1-4 matchups, so they were supposed to have the least amount of drama but ended up turning into two hard-fought matches.

I’m not sure if I’m the only person who does this, but I’ve noticed that NBA games typically start 7-16 minutes after the posted start time (especially Heat games, which run on Cuban timing), so I give myself a buffer for when I need to actually sit down and get ready for the game. Last night, the 7 PM Bucks-Magic game actually started at 7 PM, so I missed the first 5 minutes of the 1st. The Magic were without their two stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but were able to stay in this game thanks to their top-of-the-league defense. The Magic allow a league-low 103.3 opponent PPG. The first quarter was defined by low percentages across the board and a high turnover count for the Bucks, giving the Magic an early 8-point lead and limiting the Bucks to only 25 first-quarter points. The first half left a lot to be desired three-point shooting-wise from both teams. The only man that truly had the efficiency down in the first half was Bobby Portis, who at that point had yet to miss a shot. Giannis eventually ramped up and ended the contest with 37 and 7 but had a 1:6 assist-to-turnover ratio. Not 6:1—1:6. He looked very sloppy with the ball in his hands, and the Magic defense was eating him alive.

One man in particular was feasting on Giannis, and that was Magic point-of-attack defender Jalen Suggs. With two big names out for the Magic, the ball fell into Suggs’ hands on the offensive end more than he was used to. Suggs averages right around 13 FGA per game, but last night he doubled that with 26. Overall, he didn’t look terrible with the ball in his hands, but as it came down to the wire in the 4th, Suggs missed two back-to-back threes that could have won the Magic the game. Outside of clutch time, Suggs did a great job keeping the Magic alive in the 4th. The Bucks ended up winning 114 to 109 and will play the winner of tonight’s matchup between the Hawks and the Knicks in the semifinals in Vegas.

In a game that was a little more one-sided, the Thunder defeated the Mavericks 118 to 104. Luka, who, not just based on stats but also by his court presence, hasn’t felt the same this season, had 16 and 11 on 5-for-15 shooting. While Luka did reel in 4 steals, he made up for it with 6 turnovers. Kyrie and Klay both shot 50% from the field, with Irving going 3-for-5 from the stripe and Thompson going 5-for-10. In a game like this, where Luka is evidently struggling, I expect Kyrie and Klay to take charge as the veteran leaders on the team and demand the ball, as they were both shooting very well from the floor. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Kyrie put up great efficiency yet refuse to put up more shots. In a loss to the Nuggets a couple of months back, which I covered in another post, Kyrie put up 43 on 77% from the field and 75% from three. There are times Kyrie needs to learn to take charge. It may be Luka’s team, but Kyrie is one of the best number 2’s in the league and has the skill to truly take over a game. I believe that could have been the difference-maker in them coming out victorious last night.

I also want to take a moment to give Naji Marshall his flowers. In a year where Dallas is underperforming, the newcomer in Marshall has surpassed all my expectations, especially on the offensive side of basketball. For the Thunder, it was all Shai. That man had 39, 5, and 8 while tacking on 4 stocks. The difference-maker for OKC was second-chance points; they outclassed the Mavs on the offensive glass 17 to 7. The Thunder shot 45.5% from the field—2% worse than Dallas—but OKC was able to put up 21 more field goal attempts than the Mavericks.

Taking a broader perspective on what an NBA Cup victory would mean for these teams, we realize just how much is at stake. The Bucks made it this far last year but were upset in a game that sparked a rivalry between them and the Pacers. Winning this year would solidify them as one of the best teams in early Cup history. After winning a championship in 2021, the Bucks have continued to get worse. After trading for Dame last year in order to shake things up, the Bucks again lost to the Pacers—this time in the first round of the playoffs. The window is closing on their championship aspirations as their players continue to age. They started this season off 3-16. Milwaukee has begun to pick things up, and a Cup championship victory would not only give fans but also the players confidence that they are contenders this year despite their slow start. For the Thunder, a Cup title could mark their ascension from a team of young stars to real contenders that have the potential to run this league for years to come, as well as put the whole league on notice that they have arrived.

The last thing I wanted to talk about before dishing out my notes from the night was the 2K stream. While I did think some aspects were cool, it felt more like a novelty than anything. I liked having key stats on the screen, but other 2K graphics quickly became distracting. While the new style of broadcasting was interesting in how it included interviews during gameplay, it felt unfocused and disorganized. While I’ll probably never watch a 2K broadcast again, it is always amazing to see the league try something new and get creative.

Carlos’ Notes from the night

Magic v bucks

• game actually started on time which made me miss the first 5 minutes 
• 2k stream- the broadcasters were talking about it too much- I like them showing the stats, the 2k graphics on the court were cool, but made me want to watch less, 
• The double big lineups with Goga and Wendell (neither of which are super traditional bigs) looked nice. Neither are very tall either. 
• Giannis settled at times on defense in the half court. He can’t afford to do that on a team where he is the best defender. When someone gets by him and Brook is off the floor, Bobby Portis is the last line. 
• Bucks 7 first quarter turnovers, most were forced by the magic
• Stars were out for the magic, rest of the team stepped up
• Brook is always a step behind the three point line
• They givin Bobby too much space
• I’m starting to like Goga’s hair more
• I thought the KAT interview was a cool and refreshing idea, but it was a little awkward with a game on. KAT did a good job reacting to the game and answering their questions
• Telitubbie fat heads in the crowd
• Giannis got dunked on by Goga. He didn’t even go up
• Giannis’ dribble was too laxed at times, allowing for magic steals when he knew that they had great defense. 
• KAT is getting interrupted when the media folks are making calls. The whole organization of the interview while calling a game was strange. 
• Giannis transition Defense >
• Lillard last 9 for the bucks
• Magic rebounding is amazing 
• Suggs was in his own head on the last 2 shots

Mavs v Thunder

• Naji Marshall, based on the production he’s had this season, is on one of the most team friendly contracts in the league
• Spencer Dinwiddie confuses me
• Turnover discrepancy 
• When Shai’s threes are hitting they look good, but when they aren’t he doesn’t continue to rely on them
• Luka has been off this year, truly
• Maki Kleber silently fell out of the Mavs rotation the past few seasons 
• Luka looks more flustered and indecisive than he has in past seasons

thank you.