Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The unsung hero of the Bucks' NBA Cup victory

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Dec 18, 2024 6:09 AM ET

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard lived up to their star billing in the Bucks' NBA Cup victory, and will deservedly get the credit. But the unsung hero throughout the tournament, specifically in Tuesday's final, was Andre Jackson Jr.

The second-year guard clamped down on Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, holding the OKC star to 1-of-6 shooting as the primary defender across 41 partial possessions. Bogged down by Jackson's defense, the usually even-keeled SGA made uncharacteristic decisions in his team's 97-81 loss, letting the frustrations get the best of him. He would shoot 8-of-24 with just two assists, the latter a testament to Jackson getting into passing lanes and disrupting OKC's ball movement.

After the game, SGA admitted that Jackson didn't allow him to get to his desired midrange spots and threw him off his rhythm. Coach Mark Daigneault noted SGA was forced to play off the ball a lot due to Jackson hounding him and even getting over screens.

Shai on Andre Jackson’s defense on him tonight: “I feel like I got enough touches. I took 24 shots. I’ve shot less in wins. Ball didn’t go in as much as I wanted to.” https://t.co/8IOFzZ9niJ pic.twitter.com/PmCbayh0V8
— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) December 18, 2024

Jackson similarly made life difficult for the likes of Tyler Herro, Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young in previous NBA Cup matchups. In fact, the Bucks' ongoing turnaround (13-3 including the NBA Cup final) moved into high gear only after he was inserted into the starting unit — the Bucks are 11-3 with him as a starter and 3-8 with him off the bench.

In Jackson, the Bucks may have found the perfect foil to play next to Lillard, who has always been defensively challenged. If he can build on his current form, he can prove to be a handful when the Bucks matchup with Jalen Brunson's Knicks or even Jayson Tatum's Celtics. Due to his 6-foot-6 frame, Jackson has the ability to guard at least four positions, making him an invaluable piece for the resurgent Bucks.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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