Good Morning! Here’s what happened in the world of sports on Tuesday, December 17.

NBA CUP

Congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks, winners of the 2024 NBA Cup! They took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in a dominant showing in Las Vegas. Giannis Antetokuonmpo had a triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Damian Lillard added 23 points to lead the winning side. One strange takeaway from this final– assistant coach Darvin Ham is undefeated in NBA Cup games, following his win last year as head coach of the Lakers. Back to the game, the keys for Milwaukee were three-point shots and stifling defense. The Bucks made 17 threes in the win, while also holding OKC to their lowest point total of the entire season. Even as Milwaukee celebrated the title, however, Giannis had a clear message about his team going forward, “Job’s not done.”

NCAA FOOTBALL

The postseason is upon us, and last night we saw the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl in Texas. Memphis took on West Virginia in a wild game that came down to the final possession. But after the dust settled on this crazy play, Memphis was able to hold on for a 42-37 victory. Congrats to the Tigers on an 11-2 season!

NHL

Let’s do a standings check-in, shall we? We’ll break down each conference into three tiers:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

CONTENDERS: New Jersey Devils (45 points), Washington Capitals (44), Carolina Hurricanes (41), Toronto Maple Leafs, (40), Florida Panthers (40)

WILD CARD RACE: Boston Bruins (37), Tampa Bay Lightning (36), Ottawa Senators (34), Pittsburgh Penguins (33), Philadelphia Flyers (32), New York Rangers (31), New York Islanders (31)

NOT LIKELY: Columbus Blue Jackets (29), Detroit Red Wings (28), Montreal Canadiens (27), Buffalo Sabres (26)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

CONTENDERS: Winnipeg Jets (47 points), Minnesota Wild (44), Vegas Golden Knights (43), Edmonton Oilers (38), Los Angeles Kings (40)

WILD CARD RACE: Dallas Stars (38), Vancouver Canucks (37), Calgary Flames (36), Colorado Avalanche (36), Utah Hockey Club (33), St. Louis Blues (33), Seattle Kraken (32)

NOT LIKELY: San Jose Sharks (27), Anaheim Ducks (26), Chicago Blackhawks (24), Nashville Predators (24)

NCAA BASKETBALL

There were a lot of results from college hoops last night, but if you want to know the big storyline from this season, two games will tell you all you need to know. The SEC is one of the deepest conferences we’ve seen in recent memory, and last night they showed their talent compared to the ACC. (7) Florida withstood a late comeback to take down North Carolina 90-84. The Gators remain undefeated on the season. Meanwhile, South Carolina gave up a remarkable game-tying three against (25) Clemson, but held strong in the extra frame to win 91-88. We’re midway through December, and eight teams from the SEC are ranked in the top 25! No team in the conference has more than three losses this year. Remember those numbers when March Madness rolls around.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

The New York Yankees have acquired outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger won’t be a like-for-like replacement for Juan Soto, but his left-handed bat and versatile glove will be a solid addition to the New York lineup. Chicago had extra outfielders after their trade for Kyle Tucker, so they made the move to clear some payroll and add a pitching prospect.

Just one day after a truly terrible offensive performance, the Atlanta Falcons are making a quarterback switch. Rookie Michael Penix will be taking over under center, replacing the veteran Kirk Cousins. "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants,” said head coach Raheem Morris.

The NBA has changed the all-star game again. This year’s competition will be a four-team mini tournament, with games played first to 40 points. Questions? You can click here for the full explanation of the format. Because yes, the all-star game should definitely require a document explaining all of the new rules. Truthfully, I have no idea if this will be good or bad. Kevin Durant, however, is very strongly against the change.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is signing a massive six-year contract extension with Nike. Her signature shoe, the A’One, will be released early next year.

The National Women’s Soccer League is expanding to Denver! While not officially official, Denver will be the 16th franchise in the NWSL.

Finally, an example of how quickly reports and news can change– Michael Vick is indeed going to coach college football next season, but he’ll be leading Norfolk State. Vick grew up in Virginia near the Spartans campus.

TODAY’S BIG GAMES (all times Eastern)

NHL:

• Flyers @ Red Wings, 7 PM on TNT/Max

• Panthers @ Wild, 9:30 PM on TNT/Max

NCAA BASKETBALL: (14) Oklahoma vs (24) Michigan, 9 PM on ESPN2

BOCA RATON BOWL: Western Kentucky vs James Madison, 5:30 PM on ESPN

ART OF SPORT LA BOWL: California vs UNLV, 9 PM on ESPN

“I’m the best there is, plain and simple” –Ricky Bobby