Bucks making strong points
MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo started the game with an emphatic dunk. On the ensuing possession, a sprawling block to deny Marc Gasol. The next possession, another dunk. The tone was set.
And it never changed. The Eastern Conference doesn’t belong to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks yet, but they’re two wins away. Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 17 rebounds, Ersan Ilyasova came off the bench to add 17 points and the Bucks never trailed on the way to a 125-103 victory over the Raptors on Friday night and a 2-0 lead in the East finals.
“He plays so hard, he lays it all on the line, every time,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It was a great start for us. I think everybody fed off of Giannis and how he started the game.”
How he finished, too. Antetokounmpo scored 11 points in the fourth for the Bucks, who wound up with six players in double figures — three of them reserves. Nikola Mirotic scored 15, Malcolm Brogdon had 14, George Hill 13 and Khris Middleton 12.
“We really rely on each other, especially the bench,” Ilyasova said. “The starting five set the tone.”
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points for Toronto, which gave up the game’s first nine points, never led and trailed by double digits for the final 39 minutes. Kyle Lowry scored 15 and Norman Powell had 14 for the Raptors.
“We didn’t do much well tonight, obviously,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
The Bucks led by as many as 28, before the Raptors chipped away. Game 3 is Sunday in Toronto.
“We get to go back home and protect our home court, like they did these last two games,” Lowry said. “We’ve got a chance to go home, protect home court and do what we’re supposed to do.”
Milwaukee, an NBAbest 60-22 record during the regular season, became the 16th team to start a postseason with at least 10 victories in its first 11 games. Only three teams — the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2001 Lakers and the 2017 Golden State Warriors — opened the playoffs 11-0. Auto racing: Fernando Alonso and McLaren are in serious danger of missing the Indianapolis 500 after a rocky first day of qualifying. Alonso needed four attempts to crack the top 30 that would have locked him into the field for the May 26 race. But Graham Rahal made a final qualifying effort at the buzzer Saturday and knocked Alonso out of the field. Alonso and five other drivers will have one chance Sunday to snag the final three spots in the 33-driver field. “We didn’t have the speed,” the Spaniard said. “If we don’t make it, it is because we don’t deserve it.”
Hockey: Alex DeBrincat had two goals and an assist to help the United States rout Denmark 7-1 for the Americans’ fourth straight victory during preliminary play at the world championships in Kosice, Slovakia. Jeff Blashill became the winningest U.S. coach in world championship history in the top division with his 18th career victory in 23 games. Patrick Kane added three assists, Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist and Frank Vatrano, Clayton Keller, Chris Kreider and Dylan Larkin scored a goal apiece.
Horse racing: The chief operating officer of the group that owns Santa Anita Park said the racetrack will keep monitoring safety conditions after another death of a horse in training. Commander Coil, a 3-year-old, broke down with a shoulder injury Friday while galloping and was euthanized. It’s the 24th horse fatality in racing or training there since Dec. 26 and the first since March 31.
Soccer: Manchester City swept aside Watford to complete the first clean sweep of English men’s football trophies. The fourth piece of silverware of the season was sealed by four different scorers in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus netted twice and David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne also scored as Watford was humiliated 6-0.