The Milwaukee Bucks took down the OKC Thunder to improve to 7-0 in NBA Cup play this season and take home the championship honors.
There were plenty of storylines in the game's aftermath. Among them were Giannis Antetokounmpo taking home the MVP, Gary Trent Jr. stepping in for Khris Middleton and coming up big late, and the Bucks looking like a force defensively against a great scoring team. Another eye-catching storyline involves two newcomers who joined the Milwaukee Bucks this past offseason.
A key streak continues for a pair of Milwaukee Bucks
Following the Bucks' win over the Thunder, Taurean Prince and Darvin Ham moved to 14-0 all-time in NBA Cup play. Of course, Prince and Ham were paired together last year with the Los Angeles Lakers, where Prince was a key player and Ham was the head coach, where they went undefeated to win the tournament in its inaugural season. They are now a perfect 2-0 in these title games.
Prince, who has been struggling since coming back into the lineup after dealing with an illness, didn't have his finest game against OKC, but he still left his mark. The forward finished with six points, two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes of action. Even if his shooting has cooled down since the start of the season, he is still a legitimate threat out there, keeping defenses on their toes.
Prince, who became the first player ever to take home $1 million due to the $500,000 cash prize for winning the NBA Cup, is certainly a happy camper.
Meanwhile, since returning to Milwaukee as an assistant coach, this time under Doc Rivers rather than Mike Budenholzer, Ham has been a welcoming presence. Losing him the first time around when he took the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching vacancy was clearly a blow to this team, as he was so well-liked among the players in Milwaukee's locker room. Everyone is glad to have him back.
It's been a turbulent season for the Milwaukee Bucks, but perhaps this perfect run in the NBA Cup can serve as momentum as they gear up for the rest of the season.
There's no telling where Taurean Prince and Darvin Ham will be next season, but it will be fascinating to see just how long they can keep this streak up if they stay paired together.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.