Normally, and even without Damian Lillard, the Bucks winning against the Raptors would not be an event. Except that Milwaukee is sick at the start of the season and beating Toronto – the worst record in the league – is almost a relief.
However, everything was not perfect once again for Doc Rivers' players. They notably shot 16/56 at 3-points and lost 16 balls. However, they were able to rely on their defense. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez brought out the slap box with 7 blocks between them.
“Both held our racket in this match”, emphasizes Bobby Portis. “It was easier for the others to get rebounds and run. Sometimes our best attack is transition and shooting 3-pointers after running. »
Despite good shots, it doesn't fall in…
With these blocks and 16 stolen balls, as well as 28 points scored taking advantage of the Canadiens' 22 lost balls, the Bucks actually ran and got a number of shots behind the arc by playing in transition. Clumsiness, which has affected the team very often since the start of the season, did the rest.
“We insist on going into the paint to create 3-point opportunities. We took 56 winning shots and 50 were good shots,” believes Doc Rivers. “We just didn't shoot well. If we play like that every night, with those shots, it will be fine. »
We will have to avoid absences like at the start of the second half, with the 11-0 conceded which allowed the Raptors to equalize… “We talked about it before the break, about getting off to a good start and we didn’t do it”the coach can only observe. “We have to continue to work on this. »
Milwaukee will recover and finally win by 14 points, conceding only 85 units. “We found ourselves, we returned to what allows us to take the advantage: making stops and running offensively, having confidence to get good shots”summarizes AJ Green, 12 points in this victory.
