The GIST: The NBA’s in-season tournament is wrapping up just in time for the holidays with tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. ET winner-take-all NBA Cup finale that will feature a pair of No. 1 seeds: the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder.

• The only question remaining is which of these star-studded squads will have the ace up their sleeve that earns each championship-winning player a cool $514.9K?

How it happened: The NBA’s ratings are down, but you wouldn’t know it from the raucous crowds waking up in Vegas after two action-packed semifinals. Saturday’s first game was the Giannis Antetokounmpo (pronounced ah-det-oh-KOON-boh) show as the two-time league MVP stuffed the stat sheet to lead the Bucks to a 110–102 win over the No. 3 seed Atlanta Hawks.

• Not to be outdone, OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exploded for 20 second-half points (of his 32 total) to top the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets 111–96 in the second semi.

Superstars vie for NBA Cup crown: Both Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander have been stellar this season, averaging 32.7 and 30.3 points, respectively. Expect more big numbers from both superstars in the final — that’s just what perennial MVP candidates do.

• That means the difference in this one could be how effective the Bucks’ Damian Lillard can be against OKC’s league-leading defense. If Lillard can come up clutch once more, it might be just enough to dismantle the favored Thunder.

The GIST: A stiff arm masterclass, a near wardrobe malfunction, and a not-so-subtle flyover characterized Week 15 of NFL action. And there’s even more where that came from after another chaotic Sunday on the gridiron.

❤️‍🩹 Injuries continue to wreak havoc: From Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (QB) Patrick Mahomes (ankle) to Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (foot) to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (ankle), plenty of big names were bit by the injury bug yesterday.

• But there was one moment that had every fan holding their breath — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose was stretchered off in a neck brace after a scary hit in Miami’s 20–12 loss to the Houston Texans. Thankfully, DuBose is in stable condition at a local hospital.

🦬 Buffalo Bills prevail in battle of league’s top-two offenses: Bills QB Josh “MVP” Allen made yet another statement yesterday, tossing two touchdowns and running for two more in Buffalo’s 48–42 win over the Detroit Lions. The potential Super Bowl preview marked the league’s highest-scoring game of the season, a trend for these high-flying squads.

🏆 Three more squads punch their playoff tickets: Four teams had already secured postseason berths heading into Week 15 (the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles), and while there were plenty of clinching scenarios in Week 15, a total of three squads checked the box yesterday.

• The aforementioned Texans snagged the AFC South with their win, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite losing 27–13 in a feisty affair against the Eagles, locked in a playoff ticket thanks to the Indianapolis Colts’ 31–13 loss to the Denver Broncos.
• As for the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings booked the conference’s lone postseason ticket of the weekend — and they did so without even taking the field, capitalizing on the Seattle Seahawks 30–13 Sunday Night Football loss to the Green Bay Packers. Whatever it takes.

⏩ What’s next: On the 15th week of football, the NFL gave to us…not one but two Monday Night Football matchups. Full disclosure, tonight’s 8 p.m. ET game featuring the Vikings and the Chicago Bears is much more interesting than the 8:30 p.m. ET tilt between the grounded Atlanta Falcons and 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders. Choose wisely.

If you want to max out the Hallmark movie vibes this holiday season, start by looking for love/magic/a cute, single bakery owner in unexpected places like… IN Indiana.

• Even cities like Indianapolis are giving small-town cozy for the holidays, with everything from local traditions to light shows that put Clark Griswold to shame. You can even visit the setting of a real Hallmark Christmas movie in Santa Claus, IN (yes, way).
• Ready to release the stressful side of the season and embrace the coziness of small-town festivities? No one does it better than Indiana, so use this guide to plan your trip. Hallmark will be calling for the rights to your love story before you know it.

Aflac, by sponsoring The GIST of It (our podcast!) to make sure GIST co-founder Ellen Hyslop and Steph Rotz are in your ears with a fresh perspective on sports every Tuesday and Thursday. Aflac’s not only helping close gaps in women’s sports but helping close gaps health insurance can leave behind.*

This episode of Good Mythical Morning where Rhett & Link test their bond against Jason and Kylie Kelce.

German. The NFL is heading to Berlin for its first-ever regular-season game in the city. Danke, Roger.

*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Quack quack.