After starting the season 2-8, the Milwaukee Bucks have resurrected themselves under coach Doc Rivers.
The Bucks won the second iteration of the Emirates NBA Cup Tuesday night, toppling the favorite Oklahoma City Thunder, 97-81. Giannis Antetokounmpo went for a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists and Damian Lillard added 23 points.
Every Bucks player got $514,971 for the title.
"I'm going to make sure that I get my mom a very nice Christmas present this year," former UConn guard Andre Jackson Jr. told Marca.com. "Best Christmas ever."
But Jackson says the Bucks are "not content" and want to pursue an actual NBA championship next spring and summer.
"I'm very happy, I'm happy to have won something already," he said. "But I'm not content, I still want more."
The favored Thunder were outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc and shot only 34%.
ESPN's Seth Greenberg credited Jackson with playing stout defense.
"Andre Jackson has changed their defense, you talk about guys from UConn," he said on SportsCenter. "He's 6-6, can defend point guards, did a great job on SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander], 3-for-12 when he was the primary defender.
"They just compete so hard on the defensive end. They struggled early in the season but they have improved and they will get better."
Giannis, who led the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021, said the job is not finished.
"Job's not done," he said.
Said Jackson: "I think it just brings us back together in understanding that we can win something together. I think that's very powerful for a team."
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.