Game 6 called ‘must-win’
Toronto looks to avoid Game 7 with Cleveland already waiting, resting
TORONTO — While the Cavaliers rest in Cleveland, the Raptors have more firstround work to do in Milwaukee on Thursday. And Toronto forward DeMarre Carroll hopes they can they take care of business sooner rather than later.
The Raptors failed to close out series in Game 6 on the road last year against Indiana and Miami, although they rallied to win Game 7 at home both times. Three years ago, they lost Game 6 to Brooklyn and were eliminated in seven by the Nets.
“Hopefully we’ve learned a lesson,” said Carroll. “We don’t want to come back home and try to take care of this athletic, long Milwaukee team. We want to take care of them on the road.”
Third-seeded Toronto leads sixthseeded Milwaukee 3-2.
The series winner advances to play the second-seeded Cavaliers, who finished off a sweep of No. 7 Indiana on Sunday.
Carroll says the Raptors need to avoid the physical and mental pressure that a Game 7 brings when “every shot counts.”
“Guys need time off to recuperate, and we should understand that more now than we did last year . . . If we don’t understand it now, we’re never going to understand it,” he added. “Game 6 is a must-win for us.” They have learned the hard way. Last year, Cleveland needed eight games to get to the conference final, compared to 14 for the Raptors.
“When we saw them it was like we hit a brick wall,” Carroll said of the Cavs, who disposed of the Raptors in six. “We fought and fought all we could. We were tired, our legs were tired, we were missing shots, we weren’t playing with that zip like we normally play with.”
Coach Dwane Casey said the Raptors will have to expect a fierce reception in Milwaukee as the Bucks fight to continue playing.
“Hopefully we do learn from past experience in a Game 6 and take that to heed — and understand how hard it is in this league to close out a series, whatever series it is,” said Casey. “The most difficult thing to do in the NBA is close out a series.”
Despite the 25-point win Monday, Casey wasn’t totally enamoured with his team’s play. The Bucks still managed to shoot 50 per cent with an assortment of layups and dunks, he noted.
Carroll said the Raptors ultimately succeeded because of their ball movement. Some stiff defence sent the ball quickly on offence — “swing, swing” is how he described it. That kind of transition offence has meant the team has often dispensed with calling plays because there’s simply no time.
“We’re ripping and running,” said Carroll. “We’re not slowing the ball down . . . Now it’s all about just playing basketball.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points Monday with Carroll suggesting the Raptors may have to take a more physical approach to guarding the Greek Freak.
“We can’t keep him getting layups after layups after layups “said Carroll, who described Antetokounmpo as “the head of the (Milwaukee) snake.”