Don’t be fooled for a moment by the Bucks’ refusal to partake of the champagne in the locker room courtesy of the National Basketball Association itself. Their spurning of the spirits notwithstanding, they were most definitely hyped by their emphatic victory in the final of the In-Season Tournament (IST), officially dubbed the NBA Cup, the other day. For one thing, it came against the Western Conference-leading Thunder courtesy of a masterclass anchored on established unicorn Giannis Antetokounmpo. For another, it capped a seven-game winning skein that firmly put their chemistry concerns to bed.
Indeed, a woeful 2-8 start to the season will get anybody worked up by the ensuing 12-3 recovery. That the IST run likewise gift-wrapped half a million dollars for every stalwart of the green and cream served only to underscore the gravity of the accomplishment. All the same, the Bucks purposely toned down their celebration of the milestone to remind themselves that their ultimate objective remains unmet. With three-fourths of their 2024-25 campaign still to be played, they know their fortunes can easily take a turn for the worse once they lose sight of what really counts.
If anything, the Lakers’ experience last year tells a cautionary tale. The inaugural IST champions saw fit to pop the bubbly in Las Vegas, and then found themselves on the wrong end of scores in 10 of their next 13 outings. And if the Bucks figured on sidestepping the dangers of rejoicing early, it’s because of the warnings issued by assistant coach Darvin Ham, whose success this time last year as chief bench tactician of the purple and gold was overshadowed by the subsequent swoon.
Which, in large measure, was why the Bucks took pains to differentiate themselves from the Lakers. As sixth man Bobby Portis argued in the aftermath, “We’re not Hollywood. We have hard-working guys [who are] selfless and who give themselves up for the betterment of the team. It’s not about the points you score. It’s all about winning, being connected. Our group is different from their group. We’re just different in [terms] of selfless guys that give themselves up. You can’t really compare the two teams — not at all.”
Again, it bears noting that the Bucks swore off the alcohol, so Portis was dead serious and stone-cold sober when he spoke with Sam Amick of The Athletic. In any case, he made his point at the expense of the Lakers, who aren’t likely to forget the slight and will move to use it as motivation when they meet twice in March. Never mind that his fighting words seemed to set aside the fact that they currently have the same number of triumphs. Under the circumstances, he would do well to ensure that he gets to walk the talk — enough, at least, to justify the moist eyes he has cast on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.