Ibaka, who has only been with the Raptors for half a season, is as perplexed as anyone about the starts, too. "We didn't play with any pace or rhythm", Casey continued. "It's fortunate we do have the fight and the grit and the grime to fight back, but sometimes it jumps up and bites you in the behind if you don't get all the way back".
"Every shot I took was contested or ran off", Lowry said. They had 28 points in transition and whether it's scrambling, multiple efforts, next guy rotating, we didn't do it.
"It's big for us", Antetokounmpo said. "I don't think we should overreact".
With the Raptors choosing to play Tucker over fellow backup Patrick Patterson, Milwaukee will likely be able to stick with the two point guard lineup for Game 2.
In the first round last season, Lowry shot 32 percent from the field and 16 percent on 3-pointers in Toronto's seven-game series victory against the Pacers.
"Any time you win it feels good, especially against a good team, a playoff-tested team", Monroe said.
"You ever have an old Regal, you've got to start up and sit there for a while before you pull off and you go on a little road trip, but once you get going, your vehicle feels like a 2016 Lexus or something?"
DeMar Derozan was brilliant all season long, a healthy Kyle Lowry was back in the fold after a 21-game injury absence, and they were bullying teams with their typically physical defense, all trends that pointed towards playoff success.
Overall though, it was yet another disappointing start to a playoff series stretching the Raps mark for ineptitude in these opening games of a first round series to a truely woeful 0-9.
"Our second half was just abysmal", head coach Dwane Casey said. "We've been there before". "It's not a good feeling but they are things that are correctable as far as our offence is concerned".
Wade, Bulls Host NBA-Worst Brooklyn Needing Win To Reach Playoffs
Beat a short-handed Brooklyn Nets team that plans to sit six players on Wednesday night and advance to the playoffs. James Harden recorded his 22nd triple-double and Houston tuned up for the post-season with a win over Minnesota.
Just to add on a bonus stat, though, here's a look at how poorly Lowry has shot the ball during his postseason career, via Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.
The Raptors looked to be in control of Game 1 before the Bucks took over in that second half to steal the game and home-court advantage. Mike Conley scored nine points and had four assists in the first quarter, but he finished with only 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
"When he came out I thought his teammates picked him up", Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We're a young team and it starts with playing hard and trusting one another and they did that this evening". The Bucks scored eight straight points, including four from Middleton, to make it 85-71 with 8:47 left.
The Raptors were ahead by eight points with 7:34 to play in the third quarter after Valanciunas made a hook shot. The Raptors went 12-3 to finish the season, and both teams went into the playoffs on a roll.
DeRozan was also asked about his back-court mate Kyle Lowry, who had just four points on Saturday. And in last year's playoffs, they were just 1-9 after trailing by 10 or more and 9-1 otherwise.
Early on Saturday, Antetokounmpo put on a one-man show: two dunks, three rebounds, a layup and free throw as Milwaukee turned a 4-0 deficit into a 17-15 lead.
Living up to their billing as one of the best first-quarter teams (+7.1 first quarter net rating) in the league, they took a 30-22 lead courtesy of an inspired Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks finished 10th in three-point accuracy this season, but made exactly the same number per game as the Raptors.
The Bucks blitzed DeRozan again on the final possession of the quarter, forcing him to fire the ball to PJ Tucker who had no time or space against Brogdon, as the President blocked his shot easily and the horn sounded.
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