The Toronto Raptors’ home opener, which many were considering the “opening act” to the Blue Jays’ World Series opening game, put this fresh Raps squad head-to-head with the Greek Freak. Giannis Antetokounmpo,
former NBA MVP and one of the league’s best big men, is a hard match-up for literally anyone. After Toronto was able to win their season opener and score 138 points on Atlanta’s heads the other night, they hoped to bring that momentum back home for this game.
Giannis isn’t the same battle as the defence-averse Hawks, though. Immediately, Giannis’s size, power and agility made it hard for the Raptors to defend him in the post. He made many trips to the line in the first quarter alone.
The thing about Giannis, though, is that he isn’t a guy to play extended minutes. Especially this early in the season, and the Raptors needed to take advantage of those non-Giannis minutes. Non-Giannis minutes mean you have a clearer path to the bucket, that you aren’t risking it all on every defensive possession, and that you can breathe a little easier overall. Rebounding also becomes way easier with Giannis off the floor, and the Raptors capitalized.
The Raptors went on a 16-6 run to start the second quarter while Giannis took a break. The run ended with a huge BI three-pointer that caused Doc Rivers to call a timeout. It seemed like a great start to what would turn into a tough game.
The other “new” thing for the Raptors when they play Giannis this season is the fact that they have Brandon Ingram now. In many preseason previews, we’ve harped on and on about how Ingram’s presence alleviates pressure from everyone around him, and that hypothesis is proven right against the Bucks and Giannis. While Scottie Barnes might switch on and off Giannis in years past, he is now the primary defender on Giannis. Why? Well, Scottie doesn’t have to carry the biggest offensive load anymore — that is what Ingram is for.
That relief of pressure allows Barnes to put that much more effort into guarding Giannis, something he is definitely capable of (and confidently, judging by the stare down). Barnes could very well be in the mix for an All-Defensive nod this season, and being able to slow down these types of players will be key if he’s gonna get those votes.
At a certain point, though, it’s hard to keep Giannis contained. You need to outscore the Bucks and try to slow him down, at least. Another reason why having Ingram is great for the Raptors.
It was a super close game in the fourth quarter, with fans (and let’s be real, media too) switching nervously from the court to our screens to watch the Blue Jays. Ingram’s 26 points mid-way through were supported by Quickley and Barrett, each having 19 of their own, and Scottie had 16 points as the lead continued to flip-flop back and forth.
It was when the Bucks took a 5-point lead with two minutes to go in the fourth that things started to look dicey for the Raptors. Missed free throws from both Barrett and Quickley didn’t help close the gap either. A great steal from Barrett was a glimmer of hope, but they couldn’t convert on the other end. Cole Anthony’s 23 points in support of Giannis’s 31, especially as Anthony was able to get a lot of those late-game buckets, was the kicker. The Raptors could not convert their own chances into points.
Unfortunately, it was an inability to close out the game strongly, plus the never-ending strength of Giannis, that cost the Raptors their home opener. The Milwaukee Bucks won 122 to 116 over the Raptors. A ton of positives to come out of this game, though, especially on the offensive end from the starters.
Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 29 points, 6 rebounds and three assists. He wasn’t the only Raptor in double figures, though, as Barrett had 20 points along with 6 rebounds and 2 assists, shooting 9-12 from the field. Scottie Barnes has 17 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Quickley had 19 points of his own, but his three-point shooting was not to the level it could have been.
Immanuel Quickley took accountability for losing the game in post-game press, whether that’s true or not is up to interpretation. He felt like his missed free throws at the end really impacted the team’s ability to close out there in a clutch situation.
After the game, coach Darko Rajakovic said, “Giannis is a force of nature, he converted at the rim pretty well… some aspects of our defence were good. It’s hard to control him, but we did not do a good job controlling their bench and Cole Anthony.”
Darko also said that his team needs to take a look at spacing and do better at getting stops, steals, and defensive rebounding. Overall, though, he was happy with the effort his team showed, saying Giannis had to “earn a lot tonight.”
Another thing Darko emphasized was the time that will be needed to fully see how this starting lineup meshes together. He said it will take “30, 40, games” to see the full picture when it comes to their roster.
The Raptors will now head on the road for two games in Texas, before heading back home next Wednesday.
