Only two days after the exciting Game 3, which ended after two overtimes with the Raptors beating the Bucks, the two teams once again faced each other at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
It was obvious that Kawhi Leonard was tired after playing the longest game of his career. The man who single-handedly won a number of games this season got big help from his teammates. In the end, the Raptors won the game 120-102, tying the series of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Both teams how gave two wins, with the next game scheduled to take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Thursday.
Kyle Lowry led the Raptors to victory with 25 points, while six other players scored in double figures. Leonard contributed with 19, Norman Powell scored 18 points off the bench, Serge Ibaka recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, Marc Gasol had 17 points, while Fred VanVleet ended the night with 13, in his best game of the post-season.
Khris Middleton scored 30 points for the Bucks, while Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Toronto’s Danny Green drives between Orlando’s Evan Fournier (left) and Aaron Gordon in the first quarter of Game 3 on Friday night. – USA TODAY / VIA REUTERS
All of the Raptors Chipped in
The Bucks gave their best to stop Leonard, but such tactics allowed other Raptors players to score. The league’s best team in the regular season lost two games in a row only for the second time this season. Those were both away games, played back in March against the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns.
Lowry was off to a flying start, scoring 12 of the Raptors first 17 points. The Buck managed to keep the pace with them, trailing only by 1 (32-31) after the first 12 minutes. However, Toronto started increasing the advantage in the second, but the visitors didn’t give up, and Middleton’s 13 points helped them pull within four. The Raptors outscored the Bucks 13-7 by the end of the quarter and went to the halftime break leading by 10 (65-55).
The home team kept on increasing the advantage. VanVleet scored 7 points in the Raptors’ 10-3 that gave Toronto a 20-point lead, although the Bucks managed to cut the Raptors’ lead on several occasions. After Lowry scored with 3:50 left on the clock, Toronto went up by 21.
After losing the first two games, the Raptors found themselves with a difficult task of coming back to win the series, which is something they haven’t been able to do in their history.
No matter what happens on Thursday, the series will return to Toronto on Saturday.
Bet on the upcoming games at BetOnline.
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