Hawks pull even with Wizards; Raptors take 3-2 series lead over Bucks.
ATLANTA — Paul Millsap bounced back from a sluggish start to score 19 points, Dwight Howard had his best game of the postseason and the Atlanta Hawks pulled away from the Washington Wizards 111-101 on Monday night to even their opening-round playoff series at 2.
Howard, who was a non-factor through the first three games, had a double-double by halftime and finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Atlanta got double-figure scoring from seven players, including huge contributions off the bench from Kent Bazemore and Jose Calderon.
Bradley Beal scored 32 points, bouncing back from a dismal performance in Game 3, and John Wall had another stellar performance for Washington with 22 points and 10 assists. But those two, as good as they were, could not match a balanced approach by the Hawks.
Now, the series is down to a best-of-three, with Game 5 on Wednesday night at Washington.
RAPTORS 118, BUCKS 93
Norm Powell scored a career playoff-high 25 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists and Toronto beat visiting Milwaukee in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.
Serge Ibaka scored 19 points, and DeMar DeRozan had 18 for the Raptors, who can advance to face defending champion Cleveland in the second round with a victory in Game 6 at Milwaukee on Thursday night.
Making his second consecutive start, Powell connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and went 5-for-5 at the freethrow line. He brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker in the fourth quarter.
Many in the sellout crowd of 20,251 rose to their feet and chanted ‘Raps in six’ in the final minute of the game.
Toronto lost Game 6 on the road at Indiana in the first round and at Miami in the second round last year, rebounding to win Game 7 at home each time. They were eliminated in six games in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavs, losing at home in the clincher.
DeMarre Carroll scored 12 points as all five Raptors starters reached double figures. Cory Joseph had 10 points off the bench for Toronto.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds; Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11.