Milwaukee Bucks big man Thon Maker marked his first postseason game with a block party in familiar surroundings.
It took all of that and a little luck toward the end when a pair of open three pointers from Matthew Dellavedova and Malcolm Brogdan went halfway down and back out, eventually preserving Toronto's 106-100 series-tying win over the Bucks at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday night.
The Raptors have lost the opening game in eight consecutive playoff series, a streak of futility Toronto star DeMar DeRozan was at a loss to explain.
The Toronto point guard had a rough game, and the Raptors dropped their 11th series opener in franchise history, giving up home-court advantage yet again - an ugly blemish that only gets tougher to swallow each year. "It's not something we're unfamiliar with". We've got to make sure we have a confrontation, because he's one of the great screen-setters in the league, just like John Stockton was.
Casey said after the game that fans can expect to see Norm Powell in the series before all is said and done as well.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Toronto. Serge Ibaka scored 16 points for Toronto, Cory Joseph had 11, and Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Chicago's second unit had its biggest impact at the start of the second quarter, going on a 10-0 to put the Bulls in front. Coach Dwane Casey spoke on the team's functioning, not having a good pace or rhythm, any movement. It was not their best work, as they continued a losing tradition. The Bucks got some nice bench contributions as Greg Monroe had 14 points and 15 rebounds.
The Bucks are simply a bad matchup for the Raptors as the Bucks' size does not allow the Raptors to get much usage out of their smaller lineups nor does the Bucks' athleticism allow the Raptors to capitalize on their own "Stretch-fours".
In other results, Indiana's CJ Miles missed the potential go-ahead shot as the Pacers came up short 109-108 against the No.2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Down the stretch, everything came extremely hard for Toronto, the Bucks locked in, the Raptors scrambling on defence.
"We missed a lot of shots that we normally make", DeRozan said.
What the tax cut plan means for you
Currently, the standard deduction is $6,350 and $12,700 for a married couple filing jointly. "Now there are seven tax brackets ". However, his plan is not the comprehensive tax reform that Democrats and Republicans have been seeking to bring for years.
"I like it because it means we do have fight, but let's start that fight in the first quarter". The young Bucks chipped away at it by executing some of the same things that made them so terrifying in Game 1 - driving dunks from the Greek Freak, jumpers by Khris Middleton, sweet three-point shooting from Tony Snell.
"Giannis is a special player and he can cause a problem by getting two or three guys on him and, for him, just being able to read", Kidd said.
"Those kind of plays we have to do a better job (defending), like, myself, when we switch, I have to be up and then get back".
Bucks at Raptors, Milwaukee leads 1-0. Any time you are playing these guys, you have to contain DeRozan and Lowry. Worse, they worse forcing Toronto to turn the ball over. "When we did finish with the rebound, just getting out on the run, the same thing we have been talking about all year". Middleton finished the third-quarter scoring with two free throws and Milwaukee led 75-70. A nine-point lead in the second quarter after a flurry of three-pointers and open jumpers.
The 22-year-old Greek has emerged as a force this season, becoming the first player in National Basketball Association history to finish a campaign in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Milwaukee 43 (Monroe 15), Toronto 47 (Ibaka 14).
Toronto recovered to win seven-game series against IN and Miami after losing Game 1 openers IN last year's playoffs.
"Just our focus and intensity, every play of every minute of every game that we play in this series we're going to have to give because Milwaukee is not taking plays off".
TORONTO (AP) - Kyle Lowry shrugged off his Game 1 struggles in style, and got the Raptors back on level terms.
It's notable that last season, almost half of Lowry's jumpers were assisted, only for that to drop to 27 percent assisted during the 16 playoff games he played.
Comments