The Toronto Raptors got more than they bargained for in their first round series with the Milwaukee Bucks. It has been a contentious battle between the two squads as Milwaukee surprised the Raptors with a game one win, leading to a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way.
The key to the Bucks’ success all year and even more so in the postseason has been forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek national has led his team in every statistical category and has not slowed down in the playoffs, wreaking havoc on the Raptors on both ends of the floor.
PJ Tucker, one of the Raptors most often given the near-impossible task of guarding the Greek Freak, was asked about Antetokounmpo and how the Raptors slowed him down in game four.
Following via Charles Gardner of the Journal Sentinel:
“We just tried to beat him to spots and not give him room on his drives,” Tucker said. “I don’t know if anybody in the league can stop him. It was just trying to play the percentages and make him take tough shots.
“He probably missed a few that he would normally make. We probably got lucky on a few.”
The Raptors seem to have figured something out as they slowed Antetokounmpo down in game five as well. Despite a strong stat line, Giannis did not seem to impact the game as he did in the first three games of the season while the Raptors blew out his Bucks.
Tucker is correct in that no one can stop Antetokounmpo as he continues his ascension into being one of the elite players in the league and that’s high praise from one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA. But the Raptors are starting to find some success in spite of that.
