{"id":112465,"date":"2024-12-16T13:33:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=112465"},"modified":"2024-12-16T13:33:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T18:33:50","slug":"sga-giannis-could-take-mvp-lead-with-nba-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/16\/sga-giannis-could-take-mvp-lead-with-nba-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"SGA and Giannis Could Take MVP Lead With Unique Achievement"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup<\/a> final promises an electrifying showdown. The Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> and Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> battle for the prestigious midseason trophy. With Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> (SGA) leading their teams, this game could define the MVP race.<\/p>\n

SGA and Giannis Could Take MVP Lead With Unique Achievement<\/h2>\n

A Historic Opportunity in Las Vegas<\/h3>\n

The second Emirates NBA Cup concludes on December 17 in Las Vegas. This year\u2019s significance extends beyond the trophy. Both Giannis and SGA are within the top three of the\u00a0NBA MVP ladder,<\/a> showcasing elite performances throughout the season. Given that both stars have led their team to finals either Giannis or SGA will certainly win the NBA Cup MVP.<\/p>\n

Last year, LeBron James<\/a> won the NBA Cup MVP, but he wasn\u2019t a regular-season MVP contender. This season, the story is different. Giannis ranks second in the Kia MVP ladder, while SGA holds third. Nikola Joki\u0107<\/a> leads the race, but a standout performance in the Cup final could shift momentum toward Giannis or SGA.<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander\u2019s Breakout<\/h3>\n

SGA has dominated Cup play with averages<\/a> of 32.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.7 steals. His 63.0% true shooting reflects efficiency at every level.<\/p>\n

In the Thunder’s knockout win over Dallas, SGA delivered a masterpiece. He scored<\/a> 39 points on 65.2% shooting, hitting shots from the paint, mid-range, and beyond the arc. Defensively, he thrives in the Thunder\u2019s top-ranked unit. His on-court +94<\/a> in Cup play leads all participants, showcasing his two-way brilliance.<\/p>\n

This game represents a career milestone for SGA. Winning the Cup and MVP honors could solidify his MVP case. His Thunder already stunned the league by claiming the top seed in the West. Now, he has the chance to add a signature achievement to his r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s Dominance<\/h3>\n

Giannis continues to overwhelm opponents. His Cup stats<\/a> are jaw-dropping: 31.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.8 blocks with an absurd true shooting of 71.2.\u00a0Against Orlando in the Knockout Rounds, Giannis demonstrated his signature force. He made<\/a> 14 of 17 shots in the paint and recorded four blocks. He followed this with an efficient 8-for-12 performance<\/a> at the rim against Atlanta.<\/p>\n

Despite a near Cup-high 23 turnovers<\/a>, Giannis remains unstoppable. His career-high 96.5<\/a>% two-point shooting frequency showcases his relentless rim attacks. A career-best 58.2% of his baskets are unassisted, emphasizing his self-creation skills.\u00a0The Cup final offers Giannis a chance to prove he\u2019s the league\u2019s best player. Another dominant performance, paired with a championship, could push him past Joki\u0107 in the MVP conversation.<\/p>\n

The NBA Cup\u2019s Growing Importance<\/h3>\n

The NBA Cup\u2019s significance has skyrocketed this year. Last season, the tournament felt like an isolated event. This season, its top performers are also NBA MVP contenders.<\/p>\n

Winning both the NBA Cup MVP and the championship could reshape perceptions of Giannis or SGA. Both players already rank near the top of the MVP ladder. A standout performance in this high-stakes game could elevate them further. This final isn\u2019t just about a trophy. It\u2019s about defining legacies and solidifying MVP candidacies.<\/p>\n

A Game That Could Shift the MVP Race for Giannis or SGA<\/h3>\n

Both Giannis and SGA face an uphill battle against Joki\u0107\u2019s historic<\/a> season. To surpass him, they\u2019ll need defining moments. The Emirates NBA Cup final provides a perfect stage for such a performance.<\/p>\n

An MVP-caliber game will boost their cases in the tight MVP race. A dominant showing in Las Vegas would highlight their impact on the season\u2019s biggest stages. For fans, the Cup final offers a thrilling glimpse of basketball greatness. For SGA and Giannis, it\u2019s a chance to seize the MVP lead with a unique achievement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2024 Emirates NBA Cup final promises an electrifying showdown. The Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder battle for the prestigious midseason trophy. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) leading their teams, this game could define the MVP race. SGA and Giannis Could Take MVP Lead With Unique Achievement A Historic Opportunity in Las […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":112513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,15,62,22],"tags":[49979,49614,306,38,564,72,1489],"class_list":["post-112465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-bucks","category-nba","category-thunder","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-emirates-nba-cup","tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","tag-lebron-james","tag-nba-mvp","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112465"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112514,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112465\/revisions\/112514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}