Toronto pulls away from Milwaukee
Norm Powell scored a career playoff-high 25 points and Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 10 assists as the Toronto Raptors beat the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 11893, in Game 5 of their firstround playoff series Monday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
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 Thursday night at Milwaukee.
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 Final against the Cavaliers, 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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds while Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points and Greg Monroe had 11. Milwaukee has lost backto-back games after routing Toronto, 104-77, in Game 3.
Making his second start in a row, Powell connected on all four of his 3-point attempts and went 5 for 5 at the free- throw line. He brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline dunk over Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker in the fourth quarter.
Ibaka and Powell each scored nine points in the first and the Raptors used a 17-0 run to open a 31-20 lead after the opening quarter.
Milwaukee committed five turnovers in the first, leading to 10 points for Toronto.
After shooting 1 for 6 in the first, Antetokounmpo was a perfect 6 for 6 in the second, scoring 13 points to help the Bucks close the gap. Lowry had 12 for Toronto, which led 57-48 at halftime.
Powell scored 12 points in the third as the Raptors took a 90-73 edge into the final quarter.
Monroe and Jonas Valanciunas were called for double technicals after a minor shoving match under the Milwaukee basket in the third.
After Valanciunas took exception to a hard foul from Khris Middleton, Monroe pushed his own teammate out of the way so he could shove Valanciunas.
Other game
Hawks 111, Wizards 101: Paul Millsap scored 19 points, Dennis Schroder added 18 and every Atlanta starter scored in double figures as the Hawks beat visiting Washington to tie the series 2-2.