Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 115-108 victory over Toronto Raptors
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks have a well-documented history against the Toronto Raptors in recent memory, and this latest matchup certainly embodied it.
It was a thrilling game from start to finish, and no matter how sizeable a lead the Bucks built up, the Raptors kept chipping away. Milwaukee pulled away with a six-point scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, which propelled them to a 115-108 victory over Toronto.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo headlined the box score with a near triple-double, logging 24 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. Khris Middleton followed close behind, pouring in 24 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists himself.
It would be easy to discuss the fantastic performances these two put together, but there were many other headlines that played into this game.
With that being said, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s win over Toronto down in Tampa Bay.
Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaway No. 3 from victory over Toronto Raptors – Brook Lopez’s big night
Brook Lopez was putting up career-worst numbers in several categories throughout the first several games of this season. The big man struggled to find any rhythm offensively in the early going, and fans contemplated whether it was time to panic. However, after a brief cold stretch, he has started to get comfortable recently and showed it Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Lopez finished with his best performance of the year, scoring a season-best 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. In addition to seven rebounds and one blocked shot he logged, Lopez was scoring the ball at will, showing that he can still be that formidable force with the ball in his hands.
Now including this game against the Raptors, Lopez has finished with double-digit points in five consecutive contests. Early concerns about his slow start offensively have quieted down, and the Bucks will need him to sustain this recent hot streak moving forward.
With the Bucks winning by a margin of just seven points against the Raptors and a pair of other starters struggling to score, they needed every bit of Lopez’s big night.