The Emirates NBA Cup advances to its last stage with four teams standing. The contest for the NBA Cup and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award will end in Las Vegas. There, the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets will compete in the semifinals.
The games kick off in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 14th with Hawks-Bucks (4:30 p.m. ET, TNT) followed by Rockets-Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC), with the winners of each game moving on to the championship on December 17th (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Selection for the MVP “will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.” With relatively few matches and just eight total matches moving out of Group Play, winning is more necessary than ever in the race for this award.
Below is a look at which players are taking the inside track toward tournament MVP honors:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander graces the top position entering the Semifinals, mostly for appearing in all five of the Thunder games so far. If his production drops or his team loses, the mantle could pass to one of the Bucks players below.
Shai delivered an outstanding performance in Oklahoma’s Knockout Rounds victory over Dallas. His 39 points on 65.2% shooting were from all levels (six FGA in the paint, four at mid-range, five beyond the arc). He also has the stingiest defense in the NBA, and his on-court plus-15.6 leads all players in Cup play.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Antetokounmpo continues to lead Cup play into the Knockout Rounds, as the injury-riddled Magic discovered on Tuesday. Antetokounmpo stepped into the court and shot 14-for-17 around the basket. He had as many blocks as Orlando did by himself.
Giannis has been so powerful that his Cuo-leading 22 turnovers have had little effect on the outcome. Antetokounmpo has doubled down on what makes him exceptional on offense; a career-high 96.3% of his shot attempts this year are 2-pointers, and a career-high 59.2% of his makes are unaided. He takes the ball himself, all the way to the rim with destructive effect.
3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Lillard is the perimeter part of Buck’s star duo, good to the point that his 28-point, nine-assist performance against Magic felt like a disappointment at first blush. But this was before the “Dame Time’’ that happened in the fourth quarter, with Lillard scoring 15 points by himself to help mellow out Jalen Suggs’ play down the stretch.
Damian’s raw start does not justify what his appearance brings to a game. Minus his 9.3 attempts from 3-point range on 48.6% shooting in Cup play, and how much less room does Giannis have to wreak havoc?
4. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Johnson has done the “leap” that had many team executives, coaches and fans put their hopes on. He is a dynamic swingman, one of the most unique and valuable skills in the league. Johnson can score, rebound, play-make, and defend while leading the Hawks in minutes per game (37.3) in Cup play.
Jalen was exceptional in a Knockout Rounds victory against New York on Wednesday. Atlanta was outscored by 8 in the almost seven minutes he took a break. When he did play, he delivered, ending with 21 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Opponents should be scared when Johnson’s shooting passes the NBA average.
5. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets meteoric rise features talent and performances from a squad packed with stars. Alperen Sengun is the reliable hub holding the offense together. Sengun’s awareness of cutters and shooters is crucial for a Rockets side filled with cutters and shooters. His team-leading plus-minus (12.0 over five matches) tells a part of the story.
Sengun brought all his high-IQ play to an exciting Knockout Rounds victory against the Golden State Warriors. His strong fourth quarter- six points, two assists and steal in seven minutes included a score that kept the team going until Jalen Green’s heroics in the last seconds.
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