A series of twists and turns
Battle shifts back to Toronto
TORONTO - It’s down to a best-of-three series after Toronto’s defensive dominance over Milwaukee in Game 4.
The Raptors and Bucks have split the first four games, alternating victories and setting up a potentially dramatic finish to their Eastern Conference playoff showdown.
First, the Bucks struck a blow with a 97-83 win in Game 1 at the Air Canada Centre. They nearly squeaked out a second road victory but lost a close one as Kyle Lowry hit a clutch shot to clinch the Raptors' victory in the final 10 seconds.
Game 3 was all Bucks as Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetoukounmpo fueled a 104-77 rout that had the home crowd in a frenzy.
On Saturday the Raptors responded with DeMar DeRozan back to his usual self with 33 points and a lineup switch helping Toronto take an 87-76 victory.
Now it’s Game 5 on Monday night as the series heads back to “We the North” country in Ontario.
If anything, this series has taught fans to expect the unexpected.
“We were prepared better mentally,” Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said of his team’s performance Saturday. “Now we know Game 5 is going to be a completely different game.
“So we have to go out there and understand this is a new game. Game 4 is over.”
Lowry is right. No two games have resembled each other in this series.
DeRozan failed to make a field goal in Game 3 and was dominant in Game 4.
The Raptors were able to neutralize Antetokounmpo on Saturday, limiting him without a basket (0 for 7) in the second half. He scored just 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
The Greek Freak seemed unstoppable in Game 1.
But that's the way the series has gone.
“We were just trying to send as many bodies to him as we possibly could,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of limiting Antetokounmpo. “P.J. (Tucker), D.C. (DeMarre Carroll), Patrick (Patterson), Norm (Powell) got to him; DeMar got switched onto him a couple of times.
“We wanted to make sure we sent early help, try to make it as congested as possible for him to see and find other people.
“He’s a talented player. I’ve said it before, once he starts consistently making that jump shot, he’s Magic Johnson because he’s 7-foot that can handle the ball and get to where he wants to go in one dribble.
“That’s a tough combination to cover. And I don’t know what they have in their weight room here but he’s gotten stronger also.”
Kidd said the Bucks’ struggles in Game 4 came thanks to turnovers and missed shots, and he credited the Raptors. Toronto’s lineup change kept Greg Monroe matched up with Jonas Valanciunas and Thon Maker had to contend with shot blocker Serge Ibaka.
“It’s hard when you turn the ball over; all the matchups work if you’re the opponent,” Kidd said. “I’ll go back and look and we’ll see if that had any effect.
“It wasn’t a high-scoring game. We had our opportunities. It reminds me of Game 2. We just couldn’t get over the hump.
“We just couldn’t make a play. You give them credit. They found a way to win a game on the road.”
Now that’s the Bucks’ task. They have been a decent road team all season (19-22 in the regular) and prevailed in the series opener in Toronto.
“We understand what Game 5 means, a swing game,” Kidd said. “Everybody has to be prepared mentally and physically.
“Understanding it’s hard to win on the road. We’ve proven we can do that, so we should be excited.”
Game 6 is scheduled Thursday in Milwaukee and a possible Game 7 would be played Saturday in Toronto.
The winner of the Bucks-Raptors series faces LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Cleveland completed a sweep of the Indiana Pacers with a 106-102 victory Sunday afternoon.
The Raptors regained their home-court advantage with their win in Game 4, but Casey said he didn’t feel they were in command of anything.
“No, it’s a series,” Casey said. “This is the NBA, there’s nobody you can take for granted in this league. Every game is a different story, a different opportunity for different people.
“There are a lot of things we can clean up from this game and I’m sure they’re going to make adjustments and we’ve got to change things also.
“I think it’s going to be a chess match for the next three games.”
“We understand what Game 5 means, a swing game. Everybody has to be prepared mentally and physically.” JASON KIDD, BUCKS COACH