NBA playoffs on May 15: Bucks defeat Raptors with longer rotation

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The Milwaukee Bucks won Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference against the Toronto Raptors 108-100 at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, leading 1-0 in the series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds, but Brook Lopez was the most significant contributor to Milwaukee's victory with his 29 points and four three-pointers.

Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry scored 31 and 30 points respectively, but their efforts did not help Toronto win the game.

Raptors almost bet successfully

Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots under defense of Malcolm Brogdon #13 and Ersan Ilyasova #77 of the Milwaukee Bucks in the game at the Fiserv Forum, May 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

Toronto came close enough winning Game 1 after what happened in the first three quarters: they were leading in three-pointers (10-6) and 3-pt rate (45.45 percent-26.09 percent); Milwaukee missed all of their 11 three-pointers in the third quarter; Kawhi Leonard already scored 29 points before Q4.

The Raptors' advantage came from the tactics they chose for the game. Having played seven games in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors were still in the momentum of game-playing. By contrast, it only took the Bucks five games to knock the Boston Celtics out – the Bucks almost began to rust before the Conference Finals. Therefore, coach Nick Nurse decided to rely only on his first-lineup, even Serge Ibaka, the team's biggest contributor off the bench, only got 10 minutes on the court.

Giannis Anteokounmpo of the Bucks under defense of Kyle Lowry #7, Pascal Siakam #43 and Marc Gasol #33 of the Raptors, May 15, 2019. /VCG hoto

Toronto's tactics worked. In offense, all of their starting five made shots from the 3-pt line. Kyle Lowry buried seven out of nine attempts from there. In defense, the moment Antetokounmpo approached the free throw line, he would see at least three of Toronto's players ready to surround him. Even if Antetokounmpo managed to pass the ball to pen teammates, they often missed the shots.

Nonetheless, whatever had been holding the Raptors together in the first three quarters fell apart in the last 12 minutes and there were already signs in Q3: Of all the 24 points claimed by the Raptors in that quarter, 21 came from Leonard and Lowry while the others were already caught up by fatigue.

Long rotation pays Bucks back in Q4

Brook Lopez #11 of the Bucks shoots a three-pointer in the game against the Raptors, May 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

Even Leonard did not escape weariness. Coach Nurse tried to give him some time to rest on the bench after Leonard played 33 minutes in the first three quarters but soon he realized he could not do it because the Bucks began to find their game back. Starting with the two straight three-pointers made by Lopez, the Bucks launched an 8-0 run and began to gain control of the game.

Though Toronto immediately put Leonard back on the court, he was already too tired to carry the team, not to mention Milwaukee kept making defense on him physically to consume his strength. In the end, Leonard only scored two points in Q4. By the way, 15 points all came from Lowry.

Kyle Lowry of the Raptors shoots a three-pointer in the game against the Bucks, May 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

Compared with Toronto's squeezing of the starting players, Milwaukee's coach Mike Budenholzer chose to continue his long rotation plan for the game. Though his team had been at a disadvantage before the last quarter-their FG rate and 3-pt rate were 37.3 percent and 17.6 percent respectively; Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Nikola Mirotic were all zero for five from the 3-pt line – Budenholzer sent a total of nine players on the court and seven of them played on 20 minutes. That explained why the team still had the strength to launch a 32-17 in Q4.

It's unfair to criticize coach Nurse for not trusting his backup players because when he put Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell on the court at the same time in the fourth quarter, the Bucks came back from trailing in less than three minutes; when Marc Gasol was not there, Ibaka looked nothing but vulnerable in front Lopez and Antetokounmpo.

It's more than a loss for Raptors

Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors in the game against the Bucks, May 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

The loss on Wednesday was hurtful to the Raptors in other ways. For example, this could have been their best chance of winning in the series: the Bucks kept missing shots; Antetokounmpo could not break into the paint; the Raptors were on fire with their shooting; Leonard remained unstoppable when he had the strength. However, they still lost it. When you fail to take your best chance, don't expect the chance to come back.