Bucks 105, Raptors 92 – Jan. 31, Scotiabank Arena
The fourth and final meeting between the Bucks and the Raptors came under the national spotlight on January 31 in the Great White North.
After falling to Toronto last time out, the Bucks struck back, securing a 105-92 victory that Thursday night, and giving themselves some breathing room in their quest to maintain their best record winning pace at that point in the season.
Much like their previous two victories, it was a well-rounded effort on the Bucks’ part both within the starting lineup and off the bench as they had seven players score in double figures. Among the most noteworthy contributors that rose alongside the Bucks’ rock solid regulars, the win may have been the height of D.J. Wilson‘s breakout campaign from this year as he scored 16 points on 10 shots (3-of-6 from long distance), five rebounds, two steals and a block in nearly 22-and-a-half minutes.
As for Toronto, it was an off night for Leonard, who put in one of his worst performances of the season with 16 points on 20 shots, eight rebounds, three steals and was a -8 in over 35 minutes of action. Instead, it was Siakam who guided the Raptors with 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field.
But as has been a theme in their losses to the Bucks, the Raptors put in a porous outing shooting the ball, hitting 39.3 percent of their 93 shots from the field and going 7-of-27 from beyond the arc (25.9 percent). All of that gave Toronto their third-worst offensive rating in a single game this season.
Will what we saw in the Bucks’ four clashes against the Raptors come across in the Eastern Conference Finals? We’ll find out starting in Game 1, which will go down Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.