Ibaka sits out practice, but expected to play

The Raps came into the game winners of three of their four meetings with Milwaukee this year.

Antetokounmpo, the best player on the floor all night, wound up with 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting.

Ibaka rolled his ankle after coming down on the foot of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in the third quarter, but remained in the game, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Raptors may yet win the series and advance, their Game 1 misery adding a new chapter to this sordid basketball story by dropping a game to visiting Milwaukee to open the best-of-seven series. "It's not something we're unfamiliar with".

Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points for the Bucks, Greg Monroe had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova added 11 points each, and Khris Middleton chipped in with 10 points and nine assists.

Antetokounmpo, noting he hasn't seen much of the playoffs, said afterwards he was just caught up in the energy of the sellout crowd of 20,133 at the Air Canada Centre. Are we sure Cleveland is going to make it to the NBA Finals?

The worst that the Bucks can do is return home with a split of the first two games. DeRozan seemed to be suggesting that Lowry's initial response and what he will actually do in Game 2 are quite different.

The Spurs led by three points at halftime, but steamrolled the visiting Grizzlies 111-82 on Saturday (Sunday AEST) to take the first game in the best-of-seven series. "We have to stay together, stay focused".

"We have looked at the numbers, the stats, the rotations, the matchups, the groups that were in there, and there is no consistent statistic or number or group", Casey said. But he said he is expecting Jimmy Butler, who had 23 of his 30 points in the second half of Monday's 106-102 win, to produce as well.

The game shifted strongly in Milwaukee's favor in the second half.

"I don't know if we played hard enough to deserve a chance to win", Casey said.

Lowry played just under 34 mintues and wound up with four points on 2-of-11 shooting and a team-worst minus-22 for the night. But coach Dwane Casey said Ibaka "should be ready to go tomorrow night".

When there were no drop-off passes to Valanciunas, Milwaukee had Thon Maker play this glorified version of a safety, refusing to get out on the perimeter, where Valanciunas mysteriously was taken up space, and blocking shots or altering shots. They gameplanned really well for us.

The Raptors shot 36 percent from the field and the Bucks shot 44.7 percent. We've talked about the noise and the communication that everybody has to get on the same page.

The Raptors challenged late in the third quarter but Dellavedova hit an open three-pointer to give the Bucks a 71-68 lead.

INJURY UPDATE: Gobert (hyperextended left knee/bone bruise) isn't expected to play Game 2 after getting hurt 17 seconds into the series opener.

Whatever five-man combo Casey threw out on the floor, the offence was going through either DeRozan or Serge Ibaka, by far Toronto's best two players. I thought the guys did a great job offensively; make or miss there was multiple touches and plays made.

Toronto's first-round opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, was average at stopping the pick and roll this season (0.95 points allowed per possession, 15th in the league) and well below average at guarding in transition, allowing opponents to score 1.14 points per possession with an effective field goal percentage close to 60 per cent. Milwaukee largely won this game by its ability to protect the rim.

"Just some guys, it takes a little longer to get their bones going and bodies moving. Will you?" DeRozan asked. It was a fourth-quarter swoon that got them, not a slow start. "When we did finish with the rebound, just getting out on the run, the same thing we have been talking about all year". He finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks came into this series as major underdogs but you wouldn't have known that by the way they dominated the Raptors in the second half in Game 1. No Raptors player made more than one 3-pointer. Middleton bumped the lead to 14 with a floating jumper. It'll be hard to keep it up against a team full of playoff experience.

This year, Lowry passed on the extra practice, instead sounding defiant about his plan of attack for Tuesday's Game 2.