AJ Green Stats Tonight: How did Bucks guard fare against Thunder in Emirates NBA Cup Final? (Dec. 17)

AJ Green is enjoying his best season in three years with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he had an opportunity to showcase his growth during the Emirates NBA Cup Final against the OKC Thunder at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard leading the Bucks and Khris Middleton sidelined, Green played crucial minutes off the bench. In 10 minutes of first-half action, he hit two 3-pointers, contributing six points.

Green's shooting performance outshone the Thunder's, as they struggled with a 1-for-17 mark from beyond the arc in the first half.

In the second half, the third-year player knocked down another 3-pointer and played strong defense, aiding the Bucks in securing the 97-81 victory.

Green came into the game averaging 8.1 points and 2.1 rebounds, and shooting 47.8%, including 47.6% from 3-point range.

Below are AJ Green’s stats from the Emirates NBA Cup Final.

PLAYER	MIN	PTS	AST	REB	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	STL	BLK	TO	PF	=+/-
AJ Green	25:42	9	2	1	3	5	60.0	3	5	60.0	0	0	0.0	0	1	1	0	3	2	10

Giannis Antetokounmpo earned the Emirates NBA Cup MVP honors with a dominant triple-double performance, recording 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the final. Damian Lillard contributed 23 points in the Bucks' victory.

AJ Green says NBA Cup experience helpful for growth

AJ Green, in his third NBA season, is having his most successful year to date. He’s posting career-high averages in minutes, points, rebounds and assists, contributing to the Bucks’ midseason turnaround.

As the Bucks reached the NBA Cup finals, Green highlighted the importance of gaining playoff-like experience for himself and the team’s younger players during the regular season.

"It's just high-level, high-intensity games that throughout the regular season, you might experience a handful of them," Green said (per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

"Otherwise, you don't get a lot until the playoffs. So to get some of that experience now, where it's loud and you've got to really listen to communicate and be able to execute, stay focused, it's a great experience."

The Bucks are looking to bounce back from last season’s first-round playoff exit with a full season of Lillard and Antetokounmpo on their roster.

Currently, the Bucks are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-11 record, having won eight of their last 10 games.