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 in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at the Fiserv Forum on May 15, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks collide in what should be a fun-to-watch Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 on Friday night.
Friday, May 17 at 8:30 PM ET
Fiserv Forum
Coverage: TNT
*All odds and betting info courtesy of OddsShark and originally posted by Bookmaker
- Toronto Raptors vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-7 at -110)
- Over/Under: 215.5 at -110
Brook Lopez Breaks Out
Giannis (24 PTS, 14 REB) and Brook Lopez (29 PTS, 11 REB) powered the @Bucks to a Game 1 win!
After trailing for most of the game, the Bucks were still able to beat the Raptors 108-100 last Wednesday, outscoring them 32-17 in the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez was the hero of the night with 29 points and 11 rebounds on 4-for-11 from 3-point range, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals and Malcolm Brogdon finished with 15 points off the bench.
It was a winnable game in a hostile environment for the Raptors but turnovers and missed 3-pointers came back to haunt them. Marc Gasol and Danny Green were non-factors from the start and rest difference was evident late.
The Raptors were gassed after playing a Game 7 against the Sixers last Sunday while the Bucks had almost a week off. It was a contest that the Raptors should have won, they led 100-98 with 3:31 left to play but went scoreless for the rest of the game.
Kyle Lowry was fantastic, sports analytics and strategy site Positive Residual explained that he scored 30 points on just 22 percent usage and 17 true shot attempts. Lowry was 7-for-9 from beyond the arc and grabbed eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass.
His playmaking can improve, as he had just two assists and committed four turnovers, (two were live-ball) but he was clutch late, going 5-for-7 from the field in the fourth quarter, while the rest of the team went 0-for-15, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
Kawhi Leonard is a tough defensive assignment, especially late in games and he had 29 points on 10-for-23 from the field and eight rebounds through three quarters but Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon held him to just two made free-throws in the fourth quarter.
BIG TIME BROOK.
Brook Lopez had a sensational all-around performance, he scored his team-high 29 points on 26 percent usage and 22 true shot attempts, including 7-for-7 at the rim and 4-for-11 from beyond the arc. He also added 11 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass and four blocks.
Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first duo with 20 or more points, 10 or more rebounds and three or more blocks apiece in a playoff game since Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson with the Rockets in Game 2 of the 1986 Western Conference Finals. Lopez scored more points on Wednesday than in the entire series against the Celtics (27 points on 10 of 35 shooting in five games).
Raptors vs. Bucks Trends and Prediction
The Under is:
- 7-0 in Toronto’s last seven games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game
- 7-1-1 in Toronto’s last nine road games
- 7-1-1 in Toronto’s last nine road games against a team with a winning home record
- 11-3 in Toronto’s last 14 games overall
- 6-0 in Milwaukee’s last six games playing on three or more days of rest
- 8-3 in Milwaukee’s last 11 home games against a team with a winning road record
- 4-1 in Milwaukee’s last five games following a straight up win
- 4-1 in Milwaukee’s last five games following an ATS win
- 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Milwaukee
Rebounding hurt the Raptors, these teams were basically level in true shooting and turnovers but the Bucks grabbed 28 percent of the offensive rebounds that were available and the Raptors just 15 percent. The Bucks had a sizable advantage overall, outrebounding the Raptors by a 60-46 margin. Toronto can’t let this happen again. I’m going back to the well with the Under.
Pick: Under 215.5
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