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Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory when hosting Toronto Raptors

By Daniel Barrueco

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 27: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors jump ball during a game at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 27: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors jump ball during a game at Amalie Arena on January 27, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 27: (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 27: (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Third key to victory when hosting Toronto Raptors — Milwaukee Bucks avoid a 3-point barrage

The Bucks’ defense no longer strikes fear in their opponents, especially on the perimeter. Milwaukee allows their opponents to shoot 40 percent from 3, the second-highest clip in the league.

Earlier this season, Toronto brutally exposed this weakness by gashing Milwaukee for 22 threes, the most they’ve had in any game this year. Lowry and Powell produced half of those, with six and five each, and can’t be allowed to repeat that performance.

The scariest aspect of that 3-point blitz? It came on a night when VanVleet could not buy a bucket.  He shot just 18 percent from the field, and a paltry 2-11 from deep. This team can put the deer in their headlights even when one of their best shooters falls cold. The Bucks must be ready.

Here, the strategy is to run the Raptors off the line, and force them into the teeth of the Milwaukee defense, which can actually hold its own. Despite offering little resistance on the perimeter, the Bucks force opponents to shoot just 50 percent from inside the arc, good for fourth-lowest in the association.

Tempering both Siakam and the shooters will not be easy – by nature, limiting one force allows more room for the other to prosper. Once again, the Bucks must simply look to contain them both.

Milwaukee shoots the three particularly well themselves, so denying the Raptors their outside rhythm should be enough to win the outside battle. Of course, shooters like VanVleet, Lowry, and Powell are bound to find the bottom of the net – it’s just a matter of preventing an insurmountable explosion akin to the previous meeting.

Covering these bases would create enormous advantages both offensively and defensively, for a team desperate to regain some momentum. The Bucks have what it takes to execute, and leave the Forum with a win.

Next. Looking at the Bucks' 3 stars of the week following road trip. dark

The Bucks’ matchup with the Toronto Raptors tips off at 7pm CST, and will be on Fox Sports Wisconsin for local viewers.

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