Toronto missed the heist of the century against Milwaukee

This is the end of the game Raptors–dollars the beginning was so exceptional as to be boring! After going through a black hole from the start of the match, shooting 0/15 to start the game, Nick Nurse’s troops could have considered themselves lucky to be only one point behind after 12 minutes of play (12 -13).

back to back Milwaukee also struggled to restart the machine on their end, resulting in a basketball blizzard that lasted until halftime, punctuated by Toronto’s first two 3-pointers by Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. (38-39).

The sequel was even better. Two 3-pointers by OG Anunoby and two straight baskets by Fred VanVleet pulled Toronto back to within 53-53. But in that context, Milwaukee managed to stay the course with an 8-2 run by the hyperactive MarJon Beauchamp (55-61).

Aerial finishes from Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher allowed the locals to review the final drive with hope (59-63). But the Bucks quickly quelled the opposing team’s fire. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 3-pointer made it 7-0 to set the tone. “The Greek Freak” was then turned off Toronto Almost alone, 3 points on two golden serves for Grayson Allen and Brook Lopez, then 2+1 (69-88).

Milwaukee leads by 16 points with 1:30 left…

The stunned Raptors gradually regained their composure thanks to the brilliance of Scotty Barnes, who was still far from imagining the sophomore making an incredible “comeback.” And for good reason, Milwaukee still led by 16 points with 90 seconds left!

But Toronto held on, played every second and took advantage of several exploits by Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr., especially fouls by Grayson Allen and Bobby Portis, to make it 28-7!

The hero of the last seconds was undoubtedly Gary Trent Jr., who scored a 3+1 on the head of Brook Lopez, then a 3-pointer, which miraculously tied the score and sent the two teams to overtime, 97-97! In a breathless atmosphere, Scottie Barnes managed two skillful attempts to answer Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen, but the Bucks sniper had the last word with a 3-up in the corner on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s final serve. double (101-104). epic!

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Unreal start of the match. The first quarter provided some pretty authentic scenes for an NBA game, with a lot of awkwardness on both ends of the court. The Raptors opened the ball on 0/15 shooting, Milwaukee responded with a streak of 13 attempts without a field goal for the final score after 12 minutes: 12-13! Worst quarter of the season for both teams. Toronto again went through a lane on 0-of-13 shooting as the follow-up didn’t get any more spectacular. At halftime, the Raptors and Bucks had their worst first half of the season. Fortunately, the sequel was more gratifying.

– When Grayson Allen played “cat bite” at the worst possible time. After tonight’s game, Grayson Allen’s reputation as a “dirty player” should not go away. The shooter actually touched the privates of Gary Trent Jr., who was about to hit a crucial 3-pointer in the building’s comeback while the latter was extended. The result of the contests helped extend the Flagrant 1. Even if Grayson Allen made up for it by signing a corner 3-pointer, it’s really not a very good gesture on his part.

– End of streak for Milwaukee. We have to go back to January 27, 2021 to find traces of Milwaukee’s regular season win against the Raptors. So it’s been five games and almost two years since the Bucks have been chasing a win against Toronto. The end of the match was painful, but Mike Budenholzer’s troops finally got their way!

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Giannis Antetokounmpo. A “back” heroics where Milwaukee is understaffed. He delivers the decisive assist in the 10th at the end of his effort to confirm the triple-double, but above all to secure victory for his nation after great disappointment. 30 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 block (but still… 12 turnovers), a career-high 55 points one day after all that.

✅ Brook Lopez. Mostly because he’s important next to the Greek Freak, even with Portis, Allen and Connaughton, and even if he doesn’t particularly shine offensively (4/11 in shooting). 19 rebounds and a valuable performance for this depleted team.

✅Gary Trent Jr. Just in the final sprint of the fourth quarter, these two geniuses allowed Toronto to extend the stretch.

⛔️ Raptors leaders…. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam shined with their nervousness, playing in special time in this matchup. Pascal Siakam, who struggled from the start, was overshadowed (11 points on 4/18 shooting). FVV fared better with a lot of forced situations contrasted with a few good lanes. His last shot in overtime is a bad shot…

⛔️ Raptors bench. However, it is a match where the bench can bring a valuable second wind against a team “behind”. But it was the opposite. Mike Budenholzer’s bench was productive with 34 points, while the locals were stuck at 7 units…

NEXT

Toronto (16-21): The Raptors will still be at home this Friday as they host the Knicks.

Milwaukee (24-13): The Bucks host Charlotte this Friday (2:00).