The Milwaukee Bucks have turned things around in remarkable fashion. A few weeks ago, the Bucks went 2-8 to start the season and franchise face Giannis Antetokounmpo was at the center of serious trade speculation . Fast forward and Giannis alongside superstar teammate Damian Lillard are the NBA 's most lethal duo for a 14-11 Bucks team just one game away from lifting the NBA Cup.
On Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the Bucks take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder in the championship game of the In-Season Tournament. The heavily criticised Las Vegas showpiece lacks virtually all of the prestige and esteem of an NBA championship, but it does represent the chance for silverware, no matter how inconsequential, for a team largely written off at the beginning of the season but starting to trend in the right direction. For the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, see Milwaukee in 2024.
The Bucks won a world championship in 2021 and seemed destined to dominate The Association for the next five years with the 'Greek Freak' wreaking havoc. That failed to materialize, though, as injuries, early playoff exits, and the ascension of a powerhouse Boston Celtics team left a battered and bruised Bucks squad flailing in their dust. In order to maximise $186 million man Giannis' championship window, Milwaukee made a big offseason splash in 2023, acquiring All-NBA guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers to be Oscar Robertson to Antetokounmpo's Kareem-Abdul Jabba.
