Despite his 39 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it was the Thunder's defense, which held Mavs stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to a combined 33 points, that carried the team to a 118-104 win.

In a win-or-go-home matchup against the 16-8 Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City Thunder captured a 118-104 win in the NBA Cup quarterfinal game.

NBA Cup knockout stage is underway, and the Bucks and Thunder are moving on to the semifinals in Las Vegas. The Bucks knocked out the Magic on Tuesday night in the first quarterfinal game as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 65 points in a five-point win against a shorthanded Orlando squad.