Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball while being guarded by Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Fiserv Forum on May 17, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Bucks try to take a 3-0 lead when they visit the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.
Sunday, May 19 at 7:00 PM ET
Scotiabank Arena
Coverage: TNT
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors (-3 at -105)
- Over/Under: 220.5 at -110
Bucks Dominate Raptors from Start to Finish
@Giannis_An34 posts 30 PTS, 17 REB, 5 AST as the @Bucks take a 2-0 series lead! #NBAPlayoffs
Game 3: Sunday (5/19), 7pm/et, TNT
With their comfortable 125-103 win against the Raptors in Game 2 last Friday, the Bucks improved to 10-1 in the playoffs with a staggering 15.3 margin of victory.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 30 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, Ersan Ilyasova stepped up with 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting in 21 minutes off the bench and Nikola Mirotic had 15 points and six rebounds.
According to sports analytics and strategy site Positive Residual, Antetokounmpo had a 35 percent usage and 25 true shot attempts. He was 9-for-12 at the rim, four of his five assists led to 3-point shots and one to a shot at the rim and his 17 rebounds were a game-high (his four offensive rebounds also paced all players).
Antetokounmpo became the second player in Bucks franchise history with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10 games).
The Bucks had their second-highest assist-to-turnover ratio (3.86) in a game this season. Only their 5.0 against the Heat on January 15, when they had 35 assists against seven turnovers, was higher.
Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 31 points to go along with eight rebounds and two assists on 10-for-18 from the field for the Raptors and Kyle Lowry was the team’s second-leading scorer with 15 points but he was just 4-for-13 from the field and 2-for-9 from beyond the arc.
The Raptors have to win Game 3 and they need to make adjustments desperately. Marc Gasol has scored just six points in this series, making just 3 of 20 attempts (14.6 percent) and it is time for Serge Ibaka to replace him in the starting lineup.
Ibaka has more speed and outside shooting ability than Gasol and he can be a better counter to the freakish length of the Bucks. Gasol transitioning to a bench role would allow him to control the flow within the second unit, which could benefit his game.
Bucks vs. Raptors Trends and Prediction
The Under is:
- 5-0-1 in Toronto’s last six games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points
- 7-1 in Toronto’s last eight games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game
- 6-1 in Toronto’s last seven games following an ATS loss
- 11-4 in Toronto’s last 15 games overall
- 10-4 in Toronto’s last 14 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600
Team rankings based on defensive efficiency in the playoffs:
Bucks – 1st (96.9 points allowed per 100 possessions)
Raptors – 2nd (99.8 points allowed per 100 possessions)
Both teams are sensational on defense and this is a high total for two squads that can get enough stops to make this a slugfest.
The Raptors need Pascal Siakam to step up at both ends of the court. Siakam is averaging just 11.5 points on 37.2 percent shooting in this series and he’s struggling mightily on defense. A better showing from Siakam when the Bucks attack will go a long way in making this game go Under.
Pick: Under 220.5
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