Match made in hoops heaven
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 27.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in the playoffs.
DOUG SMITH
The top two teams in the NBA, by regular-season record, hook up in a seven-game series to determine the Eastern Conference champion starting Wednesday night in Milwaukee.
The Bucks, 60-22 in the regular season, have not played for an NBA title since a six-game loss to Boston in 1974. The Raptors, 58-24, have never been further than a conference final, losing in six games to Cleveland in 2016.
Both teams like to play at a high tempo — not necessarily run-and-gun on every possession, but fast, and getting up shots early in the shot clock suits them both. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is a heavy favourite to be voted most valuable player, but he’ll be matched up at times with Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard, who has been the best player in the playoffs so far. That’s unquestionably the marquee matchup in the series, but it’s always secondary stars who have a large impact on outcomes.
THE SEASON
Milwaukee won the season series 3-1, but it shouldn’t have a huge bearing on the conference final. The last game between the teams was Jan. 31, before Toronto added Marc Gasol and Milwaukee augmented its roster by picking up George Hill and Nikola Mirotic at February’s trade deadline.
THE HISTORY
It’s the second time in three years that they have met in a playoff series; Toronto won in six games in 2016, winning Game 5 at home and closing out the series at the now-defunct BMO Bradley Centre.
THE STARTERS
Raptors: Kyle Lowry (12.4 points/game), Danny Green (8.4), Kawhi Leonard (31.8), Pascal Siakam (20.8), Marc Gasol (8.6) Bucks: Eric Bledsoe (16 points per game), Khris Middleton (19.1), Sterling Brown (4.9), Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.4), Brook Lopez (8.3) A handful of very intriguing matchups, anchored by Leonard-Antetokounmpo, but the veteran point guards Lowry and Bledsoe should be a good one, and secondary stars Siakam and Middleton are absolutely worth watching closely. Toronto’s starters were outstanding in the first two series and had to be, because of minimal production from the backups. The Raptors have been tied together on a defensive string and will have to continue that against a potent Bucks starting group. Milwaukee has surrounded Antetokounmpo with a bevy of shooters and could add former rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon to the starting unit now that he’s back from a foot injury.
THE BENCH
Raptors: Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell Bucks: Malcolm Brogdon, George Hill, Pat Connaughton, Nikola Mirotic, Ersan Ilyasova The bench has been a sore spot offensively for the Raptors for the duration of the playoffs, so much so that coach Nick Nurse went with a seven-man rotation in the last three halves of the Sixers series. They are going to have to find someone else to contribute as well as get better production from VanVleet and Ibaka. Milwaukee is like Toronto was a year ago — willing and able to play 10 men — and it’s lessened the load on the starters. But as the stakes get bigger, rotations tend to shrink and maybe Milwaukee cuts back on this obvious advantage.
THE COACHES
Given that the Raptors had great interest in Mike Budenholzer and interviewed him before choosing Nurse over him, and that Budenholzer parlayed some of Toronto’s interest into a gig with the Bucks, there’s a bit of juice to the coaching matchups. There’s sure to be discussion about adjustments and adjustments to adjustments, and a microscopic examination of the decisions they make, but at the end of the day the players have to make plays.
THE PREDICTION
There’s really not an awful lot to choose between the teams, and it’s fitting that the top two teams in the league are meeting for a chance to play for a title. It’s pretty easy to see the first four games ending in a 2-2 split somehow. After that, does the series turn into a homecourt affair like Toronto’s last one did? But if you get to a Game 7, all bets are off.