By ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points, Damian Lillard had nine of his 28 in the final minute and the Milwaukee Bucks returned to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas by beating the Orlando Magic 114-109 on Tuesday night, Dec. 10.
Milwaukee reached the semifinals of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas last December and will be the only returning team in Year 2. They will play Saturday, Dec. 14, against the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.
Jalen Suggs led a short-handed Orlando team with 32 points but missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left. Lillard was fouled and sank two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining and Suggs missed a potential tying 3.
Antetokounmpo then made both free throws with 5 seconds left and the Bucks held on.
The Magic were missing forwards Paolo Banchero (torn right oblique), Jonathan Isaac (right hamstring strain) and Franz Wagner, who suffered a torn right oblique on Friday against Philadelphia; along with guard Gary Harris (left hamstring strain).
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.
Jalen Williams scored 18 points and Isaiah Hartenstein added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Thunder, who will play Wednesday’s Golden State-Houston winner in a semifinal on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Oklahoma City’s largest lead was 20 points in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference semifinals series that Dallas won 4-2.
The Thunder and their collection of elite perimeter defenders held Luka Doncic to 16 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Lu Dort led the effort, with Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace among the primary helpers.
Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson each scored 19 points and Kyrie Irving added 17 for the Mavericks.
P.J. Washington, a thorn in Oklahoma City’s side during the playoffs last season and in Dallas’ victory last month, missed the game with an illness.
Oklahoma City led 57-54 at halftime behind 18 points from Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic had two points on 1-for-7 shooting at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the third quarter to help the Thunder take control. Isaiah Joe’s deep 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Oklahoma City a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth.
