The Milwaukee Bucks have now dropped two games in a row, falling to the Toronto Raptors for the second time this season. Bobby Portis had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bucks, while KPJ had 22 and Myles
Turner had 21. The red-hot Brandon Ingram led all scorers with 29 points on 50% shooting, while his running mate Scottie Barnes had 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Game Recap
There was a big lineup shift even before tip, as Doc Rivers opted for Gary Trent Jr. over Ryan Rollins to split time with him and Kevin Porter Jr. The idea didn’t seem to work well early, as the Bucks fell behind in a hurry against the Raptors; Toronto went on a 15-4 opening run. Once Rollins checked in, the Bucks went on an 8-0 run to bring the game back within three, 12-15. Toronto, particularly Brandon Ingram, shot hot from three-point range, going 3/3 from deep and helping keep the Raptors ahead. When the dust settled, Milwaukee trailed by just six points, 31-25, heading into the second quarter.
The two sides went back and forth in the early parts of the second frame. With 6:56 left to go, the Raptors had outscored the Bucks just 12-11 and held a seven-point lead before Rivers called a timeout to reset his group. Milwaukee did make a bit of a run thanks to Myles Turner, getting the lead down to just four, but a layup from Sandro Mamukelashvili and an Ochai Agbaji three pushed the lead back out to eight points. Despite falling behind, the Bucks were able to claw their way back into the game, going on a 12-4 run to tie the game with 1:35 left, thanks to a Rollins three-pointer. That tie didn’t last long, as Scotte Barnes made a layup and Agbaji hit a three to send the Raptors into the locker room up 57-52.
Before most of the fans could get back in their seats from halftime, the Bucks got a rally going. Bobby Portis and Myles Turner hit back-to-back threes to give the Bucks their first lead of the game, 59-57, just 75 seconds into the third. Toronto took the lead back after getting their first free throw of the game after Barnes converted the and-one opportunity. Despite the Bucks keeping it close for most of the quarter, the Raptors were able to rattle off an 11-5 run to take an eight-point lead, 82-74, in the late stages of the third quarter. The Bucks trailed by seven heading into the fourth quarter, 76-83.
The home team stayed in contact with the visitors through the opening minutes of the fourth, thanks to a 9-5 run over three minutes, getting them back within four points. Then, the Bucks went cold at one of the worst times of the game. They went 1/3, all from KPJ, as the Raptors went on a 9-3 run to take a ten-point lead, 101-91, with 5:05 left in the game. Milwaukee couldn’t dig out of the hole they made for themselves, with Shead nailing the dagger three to end this one.
Stat That Stood Out
21-4. That’s the free throws attempted discrepancy between the Bucks and the Raptors in the second half. The Raptors didn’t get their first free throw until the second half, after the Bucks took 12 in the first half. While they went just 14/21, it was the lift Toronto needed to put the Bucks away.
