The Toronto Raptors came away with a huge win on Saturday to even their first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks. In a grueling, defensive affair, the Raptors managed to finish the game on top by a final score of 87-76.
After an embarrassing game three in which they were blown out by the Bucks en route to a 2-1 deficit, the Toronto Raptors chose to shake things up. Head coach Dwane Casey surprised many by making a change to his starting lineup, starting wing Norman Powell over center Joonas Valanciunas, opting for a more athletic and rangy unit to initiate the game.
Led by Powell and Serge Ibaka, Toronto’s defense was more active to start, forcing the Bucks into contested jumpers and ably protecting the rim. The Raptors were able to better control the pace of the game while the Bucks’ own defense kept the game close despite the team shooting poorly.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s star shooting guard flipped the switch in game four. DeMar DeRozan, who had mostly struggled in the first three games of the series, going 0-for-8 from the field in game three, looked more comfortable scoring from all over the court, despite his usual defensive struggles. He finished the game with 33 points on 12-22 shooting, adding nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
But the Raptors could not give DeRozan any offensive support, shooting poorly and giving the Bucks easy fastbreak opportunities off of turnovers or blocked shots. The beneficiary of those easy shot attempts was Giannis Antetokounmpo who came alive in the second quarter after a rough start to keep the Bucks tied at 41 headed into halftime.
Antetokounmpo ended the game with a final stat line of 14 points (only shooting 6-19 from the field), nine rebounds, and four assists. He also struggled with seven turnovers.
The third quarter finally saw Kyle Lowry (18 points, four assists, 8-17 shooting) arrive. The all-star point guard who had struggled in the postseason once again took over the game from the start of the second half. His defense remained elite as he set up the offense with his shooting and passing, allowing the Raptors to take a nine-point lead. However, a surprising decision to rest the point guard to finish the quarter, allowed the Bucks to cut the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter turned into the epitome of playoff basketball with both teams throwing haymakers but neither able to land the knockout blow. Every Greg Monroe putback was met by a Jonas Valanciunas post-up. Every Giannis drive was met by Lowry and DeRozan jumpers and drawn fouls.
In the end, it was the Raptors finishing the job with just enough clutch shots to counteract the Bucks’ offensive rebounding. That included a dagger from Powell, the new starter who finished the game with 12 points, four assists, and four rebounds while the Raptors outscored the Bucks by a game-high 16 in his 34 minutes.
