The Thunder nearly achieved NBA Cup glory, but they will now face the punishment for making it to the championship.  After Oklahoma City lost to the Milwaukee B

It was the Thunder's worst offensive performance. They struggled to get to 81 points. Nonetheless, the 83rd game doesn't affect the standings, so no harm, no foul. The league has decorated the NBA Cup as a prestigious event. ESPN hosted a pregame show that included Stephen A. Smith on the panel.

So if the Thunder beat the Bucks, what would an NBA Cup championship mean? Unlike the NBA Finals, the championship celebration will last less than a day. OKC will need to travel across the country for a road back-to-back against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat starting on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The OKC Thunder are in a contest against the Milwaukee Bucks to determine an NBA Cup champion. The winning team gets $500,000 per player, with the loser getting $200,000 per player.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the NBA Cup Championship, what's at stake and are there downfalls to making it this far?

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes there isn't "any excuse" for the OKC Thunder to not win an NBA championship this season.

Stephen A. Smith is backing OKC to erode a 13-year long absence from the NBA Finals and win the Western Conference in 2025.

Everything seems to be falling into place for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder this season. With the end of the year fast approaching, the Thunder (20-5) are leading the Western Conference standings.