Demoralized by DeRozan
Offensive lapses in OT, guard’s Toronto franchise record 52 points lead to loss
TORONTO - Considering the game was played on New Year’s Day, Monday’s contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors was unequivocally the game of the year in the NBA.
There was a sellout crowd, a record scoring performance and even overtime to boot.
As intense and dramatic as the game was, it represents a missed opportunity for the Bucks as they couldn’t hold onto a late lead and, outside of Eric Bledsoe, failed to generate enough offense in overtime on the way to a 131-127 loss at the Air Canada Centre.
“I thought the guys, again, on the road and in a place where they’ve only lost one game gave ourselves a chance with the last possession and fought,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “We scored almost 130 points. Understanding our defense has to get better and it just wasn’t up to par tonight.”
Bledsoe scored 11 of Milwaukee’s 13 points in overtime. However, it took more than three minutes for Giannis Antetokounmpo to get his first touch in the extra frame. Meanwhile, Raptors star guard DeMar DeRozan continued his stellar night, setting a Raptors franchise record with 52 points, doing so at the free throw line to put Toronto’s victory on ice.
Bledsoe finished with a team-high 29 points, including 5 three-pointers, and Antetokounmpo had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The problem was he scored just two points in overtime.
“I mean, we were scoring the ball,” Kidd said when asked about Antetokounmpo not getting touches early in overtime. “We scored over 100-something points and so does he have to touch it every time? I don’t think so. I think the big thing is guys were making plays and that should help Giannis where he’s not beat down physically trying to make every play.
“Down the stretch he can be a player that we can get the ball to. But I thought you look at Bledsoe and he had a great game. Khris, (too). (Matthew Dellavedova), he was setting some great screens. We just didn’t make the right play at the right time.”
After trailing most of the game, the Bucks made a big push in the final 4 minutes of regulation when they went to a lineup featuring Antetokounmpo at center surrounded by Bledsoe, Dellavedova, Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton. That unit embarked on a 7-0 run to give the Bucks their largest lead of the night at 110-106 with 2:07 remaining.
The game turned about 30 seconds later as Serge Ibaka met Antetokounmpo at the rim of a layup attempt and blocked the shot, igniting a drive the other way that ended in a layup for DeRozan and a foul called on Middleton.
“There’s not just one play, there’s over 100 plays being made, but that’s one of the big plays they made defensively,” Kidd said.
Antetokounmpo put the Bucks back up by three before Middleton left his man in the corner to double-team DeRozan on a drive. The man Middleton left was Kyle Lowry, who knocked down a corner three with less than a minute left off a pass from DeRozan.
“We tried to get the ball out of (DeRozan’s) hands and he made some great reads and then also he beat the double team and got to the basket,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to do a better job of executing defensively ... and at some point the guys on the floor have to know DeRozan’s going and it’s his ball. We just didn’t put up enough effort on the defensive side to get a stop.”
With the game tied at 114 and 3.2 seconds left, the Bucks had the chance to claim the victory in regulation.
The inbound pass found its way to Brogdon, who was bodied by DeRozan. Brogdon couldn’t turn the corner or get any space before putting up a shot that was both after the buzzer and off the mark.
“We felt they were going to switch everything and unfortunately we just didn’t set the screens,” Kidd said. “Give them the credit, the played defense. … We were looking at Khris and Giannis. We had two options and Malcolm was the safety. Understanding when they switched — beforehand we knew they were going to switch — we just didn’t make the right read.”
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
The Bucks assigned forward Jabari Parker to the Wisconsin Herd on Monday. He practiced with the team in Oshkosh on Monday afternoon and will join the team for another practice on Tuesday morning.
Similar to his first stint with the G League squad in December, two practices will be the full extent of his participation with the Herd as he rehabs from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament.
“I think for the G League it’s great that we’re playing and he gets to practice with the Herd the next couple days,” Kidd said.
UP NEXT
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (19-16) vs. Indiana Pacers (19-18).
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center. About the Pacers: Indiana, which got off to a surprisingly hot start, has cooled off recently, going 3-7 in its last 10 games, including dropping four in a row heading into Wednesday’s matchup. The Pacers’ past three losses have come without leading scorer Victor Oladipo, who is averaging 24.9 points per game but has been sidelined by right knee soreness. His status for Wednesday’s contest remains uncertain.