In a really disappointing opening NBA Cup game, the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the injury-ravaged Toronto Raptors 121-107. The only real positive to come out of the night was Brayden Burries’ breakout game: he scored a career-high 21 points on 8/14 shooting, plus 11 rebounds (five offensive) and six assists. For the Raptors, second-year man Alijah Martin went off for a career-high 27 points on 6/7 from deep.
NBA.com Box Score
Game Recap
The Bucks got off to a blinding start, leading 15-4 after five minutes largely
thanks to Brayden Burries, who was electric as a rebounder to kick this one off; Burries had a maniacal five rebounds in the first four minutes, two of which came on the offensive glass. Unfortunately, Myles Turner picked up two quick fouls, which meant early minutes for Kel’el Ware; and while Ware did some good things, the Raptors seemed perfectly content leaving him open from three, and the Bucks’ offence stalled when he kept missing. Before long, it was a one-possession game after Alijah Martin nailed three spot-up triples in short order. Thankfully, Ryan Rollins scored five points in the final two minutes to put the Bucks up 29-24 after one.
Burries opened the second with a baseline hammer, followed by a Rollins and-one to push Milwaukee’s lead out to eight. The Bucks knuckled down on defence for the next few minutes, and a Burries mid-range jumper forced the Raptors to call a timeout as the home side led by double digits about halfway through the period. After going scoreless in the first quarter for the third straight game, Tyler Herro finally began to heat up in the second, nailing a step-back jumper against the waning shot clock and making some great interior passes. Burries was fantastic, nailing his first three to reach a career-high 15 points (on 7/10 shooting) with just over two minutes left in the first half! Much to Milwaukee’s dismay, though, Toronto closed on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits, 60-51, at the major break.
The Bucks began the third lethargic, unable to generate good shots as the Raptors opened on an 11-4 run. Milwaukee was getting by on ticky-tack foul calls, while Toronto was running smooth offence. The visitors took their first lead at the six-minute mark after another Martin triple, but Herro and Jaquez responded with threes of their own to take it back; a transition lob to Nate Ament a few plays later capped Milwaukee’s 10-2 run and forced the Raptors timeout. Of course, the visitors responded in a flash with a 6-0 spurt as Jenkins called a timeout. Both teams mostly held serve from there on out, with a late AJ Green bomb bringing the Bucks to within two, 89-87, after three quarters.
The Bucks began the fourth like the third: unfocused and lethargic. With Herro taking a break, Rollins assumed point guard duties and did not do a good job, as he threw a reckless whip pass to Turner in the middle of the floor; the Raptors then went down the other end to grab their own rebound and find Martin for his fifth three of the night to add to his career high—really disappointing stuff. Jenkins had to sub Herro back in much earlier than (I assume) he wanted to, as the Bucks went down seven, but thankfully, AJ Green kept them in it with timely threes. Milwaukee made a few runs but could not execute (on either end) when they needed to, losing in ugly fashion to a depleted Raptors outfit.
Stat That Stood Out
Before AJ Green’s three at the buzzer, the Bucks had scored just 17 points in the fourth. The physical Raptors defence had completely strangled them.
Obscene Overreaction
Myles Turner would beat out pillows, butter, and kittens for the softest things on this earth.
