Lowry hits landmark
Raptor joins an exclusive club as one of only three players to score 10,000 points with the team. But Toronto’s offence comes up short in 115-108 loss against Milwaukee.
The Raptors needed to rack up the points on Wednesday night to let their defence get set and slow the Milwaukee Bucks in transition. It didn’t work out that way.
A couple of offensive lulls and a few misses on good looks doomed the Raptors in a 115-108 loss to open a three-game homestand in Tampa, Fla.
None was more critical than a missed Stanley Johnson threepointer with about a minute left and the Raptors down by four. It was a good look at a makeable shot that just didn’t go in, a synopsis of the night for Toronto.
The Bucks scored on the ensuing possession, Fred VanVleet missed a three and the Raptors’ last good chance at stealing a win was gone.
Norm Powell had 26 points for the Raptors, and Kyle Lowry had 21.
The Raptors were playing without OG Anunoby, who sat out the game with a calf injury, but got Pascal Siakam back after he missed two games with knee swelling.
Siakam didn’t look perfectly in tune with the tempo of the game, finishing with11points on 12 shots.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a rather pedestrian night for the two-time MVP with, 24 points, but Khris Middleton exploded for 24 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee.
> Taking a shot: The Raptors love to take advantage of twofor-one situations at the end of quarters, looking for quick shots, a defensive stop and another offensive possession.
Often it works but it takes execution and it was lacking at the end of the first half Wednesday.
After Fred VanVleet missed a somewhat rushed three-pointer with 29.7 seconds left, the
Raptors got a stop but could not corral a rebound, allowing the Bucks an extra possession they turned into a three-pointer and a nine-point halftime lead.
It was the 10th offensive rebound the Bucks had in the first half, leading to 16 points.
> Didn’t take long: With a threepointer in the first minute of the first quarter, Kyle Lowry joined an exclusive club.
The bucket pushed Lowry past the 10,000-point mark for his Toronto career, putting him in a group of just three Raptors.
The 34-year-old Lowry joined DeMar DeRozan (13,296) and Chris Bosh (10,275) as Raptors to score more than 10,000 points.
Lowry was playing in his 570th game as a Raptor.
“I think he’s made himself into a heck of a player,” coach Nick Nurse said before Wednesday’s game.
“And I think the scoring is the part of it he’s worked on, the shooting. He’s improved his shooting going both ways. He’s improved the depth of it. He’s improved his finishing at the rim.
“That all adds up to him getting to a special landmark of 10,000. He’s been a hell of a player in a Raptors jersey, that’s for sure.”
> Extending a streak: Fred VanVleet didn’t shoot particularly well, just 3-for-17 from the field, but he did extend an impressive streak.
VanVleet’s third quarter three-pointer gave him a made three in a franchise-record 50 straight games.
VanVleet also had 10 assists and a season-high four blocked shots on the night.