Following a win against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks welcomed the Toronto Raptors to town on the second night of a back-to-back.
As is tradition, there were bound to be some fireworks between these two teams. That certainly came true as these two rivals duked it out in what was a nail-biter from beginning to end. There was some added flare to this game due to a brief skirmish in the fourth quarter, which resulted in Brook Lopez’s first career ejection. Even without Lopez, who put together a great performance to that point, the Bucks kept their composure and pulled out a 130-122 win on their home floor. The Bucks will now have a lengthy break before they take the floor again, but before then, here are the three biggest takeaways from Tuesday night’s game.
Grayson Allen and pre-ejection Brook Lopez fueled a third-quarter comeback in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Raptors
At halftime, the Bucks trailed the Raptors 74-67 after letting a 13-point lead slip. The Bucks were in need of a huge third quarter to get back into it, and Grayson Allen and Brook Lopez undoubtedly served as momentum shifters.
After scoring just four points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first two quarters, Lopez came to life in the third period. The big man scored 15 points, which led all scorers, on 6-of-7 shooting. Lopez shot a stellar 3-of-3 from deep in that timeframe, which tied as many 3-pointers as the Raptors hit as a team. Not only was Lopez sensational offensively, but he also had a big blocked shot at the hoop to give the Bucks a spark on the defensive end.
Offensively, Allen was right behind Lopez with 14 points in the period. Like the big man, Allen did most of his damage from deep, where he knocked in three of four triples. Allen’s lone 2-pointer of the period was a tough acrobatic at the rim over OG Anunoby to pull the Bucks within a point. His aggressiveness with the basketball earned him three free throw attempts, all of which he knocked down. He also had a steal on the defensive end to give the Bucks some momentum on that end.
After 12 minutes, the Bucks had outscored the Raptors 38-23 and took a 105-97 lead to the final quarter. Lopez and Allen accounted for 29 of those 38 points as they truly gave the Bucks a major spark to turn things around in the third. Allen went on to finish with 25 points, while Lopez tallied 19 before his ejection in the fourth quarter.
Joe Ingles provided an essential spark off the bench in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Toronto Raptors
After missing the previous game against the Pacers, Joe Ingles returned to the Milwaukee Bucks’ lineup against the Raptors and made his presence felt.
In the first half, Ingles looked as aggressive as he ever has in a Bucks uniform by scoring 12 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point land. Ingles also found himself at the free throw line for five attempts, four of which he buried. Those 12 points were the second most by a Buck in the first half. When Ingles was not knocking down shots, he was looking for his teammates, as he notched three assists in that same timeframe. Ingles looked great out there, but there was more to come in the second half of action, even though it was not more of the same.
While his first half was all about scoring, Ingles took a far different approach in the second half. The veteran took just one shot in the final two quarters, which was a tough layup that resulted in a 3-point play, but he managed to stay involved by working as a passer. Ingles made sure to get his teammates involved, as assisted on some aforementioned buckets by Allen and Lopez. When the game ended, Ingles had five more assists to add to his total. Ingles, who certainly is not known for his defense, also was credited for a block on Fred VanVleet after a nice hustle play in the fourth.
After a hit-or-miss start to his season in December, Ingles has truly started to find a groove as of late. The veteran’s shooting and passing abilities are starting to take shape, and Ingles has looked beyond comfortable alongside his teammates. With 15 points and eight assists against Toronto, Ingles logged one of his best games of the season, and his impact was on full display.
Jrue Holiday was downright masterful in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Toronto Raptors
In Milwaukee’s win over Indiana, Holiday scored what was then a season-high 35 points to propel the Bucks to victory. That season-high did not last long for Holiday, as he proceeded to surpass it the very next night against Toronto in what was an all-around masterful performance.
Scoring-wise, Holiday carried a significant portion of the load for the Bucks. Whether he attacked the rim or did his patented step-back jumper, Holiday was aggressive all night long and notched a new season-high 37 points. Having shot 16-of-26 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range, Holiday was in a great groove. In addition to his scoring, the guard impacted the game in a handful of other ways, as he finished with seven assists and six rebounds.
With the contest hanging in the balance, Holiday scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting in the final frame as he consistently knocked down clutch shot after clutch shot. In addition to his scoring, the guard was impactful on the defensive end, especially when he blocked Fred VanVleet’s shot with a tick over a minute to play.
Holiday has been a man on a mission for the shorthanded Bucks over these past two games. His All-Star case has undoubtedly gained some traction as of late, and with the game creeping closer, Holiday’s odds to make it in are legitimate. At the end of the day, Holiday’s focus is winning, but it would be great to see the guard get recognized for being the All-Star he is.
The Bucks will now have a long layoff before they play the Cleveland Cavaliers this Saturday.
Be sure to catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.