NBA Cup: Defense is the new offense

In a league defined by offense, it was the defense that prevailed in the NBA Cup semi-final games in Las Vegas.

There was one prevailing theme from the two NBA Cup semi-final games: Defense leads to wins in Las Vegas. That was seen at the end of the Milwaukee Bucks win over Atlanta Hawks and again in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory in their rock fight with the Houston Rockets.

In the first game, the Bucks finally seized control in the closing minutes of a back-and-forth affair thanks to an incredible game-sealing block from Giannis Antetokounmpo on Clint Capela.

“That block,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said afterward, “How many times do you see a lob get blocked?”

Not often. Especially when the dunker has a head start like Capela did.

“Just winning plays,” Antetokounmpo said. “Just got to keep doing things to help your team win. Sometimes it’s going to be a shot. Sometimes it’s going to be a pass. Doesn’t matter what it is. What matters, you know, is just being able to be selfless, sacrifice your body, your own ambitions, goals to help your team win.”

The nightcap took that theme to the next level.

It’s difficult to find a better defensively played game than Houston and Oklahoma City. The Rockets' ability to double and seamlessly rotate out to who they left was incredible. Meanwhile, the Thunder were overwhelming with how they took away space and were physical at the point of attack. Each basket felt like a miracle.

The only difference between the two teams was that one of them had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the other didn’t.

Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to find a rhythm in the first half as he went 3-12 from the field. In the second he went 5-9 from the floor and scored 20 points thanks in part to his ability to get to the line.

“He struggled in the first half to find it,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “The thing that always impresses me about him is he just has an unwavering confidence. Regardless of what’s going on in the game, his confidence stays at the same level.”

Defense has been a theme throughout the entire regular season. The average offensive rating of 113.8 is the lowest it’s been since the 2021-22 season when it was 112.3. It’s only appropriate that defense would carry over to the regular season tournament that’s still finding its footing.

The current standings reflect this as well. The Thunder and Rockets came into this game one and three in the West. The Orlando Magic, with the 22nd offense and third defense, are behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics in the East.

It’s fair to wonder whether or not this trend can carry over to the playoffs. Traditionally, the best offenses are the ones that end up winning in the postseason as three of the last four champions finished the regular season with a top-five offense. That doesn’t seem like it’s going to change after the Celtics continue to be at the forefront of the three-point revolution. But at the same time, it’s worth pointing out that the two best offenses aren’t in Vegas while the two best defenses are and the third-best defense just narrowly missed out. You can decide whether that means anything.

The NBA Cup is still trying to find its identity. Many of the trophies and rivalries in sports have decades and sometimes even a century of context behind them. We don’t have that in the second playing of the recently rebranded in-season tournament. But there are a couple of things that you can take away from today’s actions: The games are being played at a high level and the competition is real.

You couldn’t ask for a better combination of things to say about a new competition.

“A lot of people say it’s the money,” Rivers said. “It’s not. It’s the competition.”

The actions on the court back up what Rivers is saying. We can only hope that Tuesday’s game matches the standard set here.

“When you put anything on the line, the guys are going to be amped up for that,” Daigneault said. “Both teams will bring their fastball on Tuesday.”