Another step in the wrong direction
Bucks continue to struggle during restart
On paper, Monday’s game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors was a battle between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The matchup understandably evoked memories of last spring when the two teams faced off in the Eastern Conference finals – a series that could feasibly be on track for a reprisal in a few weeks.
In reality, though, Monday’s game had nothing to do with what happened last spring.
It didn’t have much to do with what was happening earlier this spring when the NBA went into its COVID-19 hiatus, either.
Right now, the Bucks and Raptors are two very different teams on divergent paths on the road toward the postseason. Milwaukee turned in yet another turnover-heavy, defensively-inconsistent effort – all-too-typical during the NBA’s restart – while Toronto continued to get solid, crisp contributions from up
and down the roster en route to handing the Bucks a 114-106 loss at HP Field House in Kissimmee, Florida.
Milwaukee played the game without star and reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who underwent oral surgery earlier in the day. They lost starting guard Wesley Matthews in the opening minutes, too, to an apparent right leg injury.
Toronto was also without a couple of key starters with guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet sitting out due to injuries.
The Bucks trailed most of the night, falling behind by as many as 22 early in the fourth quarter. Their bench, including Kyle Korver who scored a team-high 19 points while making 5 of 6 three-pointers, made a late push to get the score within six, but the Raptors were able to close out the game thanks in part of forward Chris Boucher, who worked hard on the glass for a late putback that put the game at its final margin.
Boucher had a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
While the game won't amount to much in the long term – both teams are locked into their seeds and any result without players like Antetokounmpo, Lowry and VanVleet doesn't portend much when it comes to potential playoff matchups – Milwaukee's continued struggles won't generate many positive feelings as the Bucks dropped to 2-4 in the “bubble.”
Again the Bucks were plagued by turnovers, racking up 19 including five by Donte DiVincenzo and four by Khris Middleton.
Missing Antetokounmpo's presence, Milwaukee's defense was uncharacteristically porous on the inside against the Raptors.
On both ends of the court, the Bucks were slow, both failing to generate transition opportunities and struggling to stop them.
These issues aren't new. This is what the Bucks have been for most of the restart, a team that hasn't recaptured what made it so great in the regular season.
At times, it's been hard to watch.
However, none of this means this is who the Bucks are now or that they've been figured out.
Instead, the question is how long will they stay on cruise control and will they be able to put the pedal to the metal when they need
to?
There are two regular-season games remaining for them to work out the kinks before the playoffs start in less than a week.