Toronto Raptors/Milwaukee Bucks Game 6 Analysis
16 Wins A Ring Writers offer 3 different perspectives on Game 6 results: Raptors 92 — Bucks 89
Toronto Raptors Analysis by Tamberlyn Richardson
What Worked:
A perfect first half by the Toronto Raptors almost became the worst loss in franchise history. Ultimately, the Raptors bent, but didn’t break. Even in the waning moments a no call slap to DeRozan’s wrist resulted in an extra possession for the Bucks leading to a 3-point score. Yet, as rattled as Toronto became, they weathered the storm.
Cory Joseph reentered the game with 3:05 remaining and became the unlikely calming force for the reeling Raptors squad. In a series of clutch time plays:
- Assisted on Patrick Patterson’s dunk (to tie the game at 82)
- Grabbed the next rebound
- Followed this up with a 3-point shot to give Raptors a lead they would not relinquish
- After DeRozan’s dunk CoryJo swished 2 free throws to give the Raptors a 7-point lead (89–82).
- DeRozan was purposely fouled on next 2 possessions, hitting 3 of 4 free throws
Casey’s decision seemed curious given how poorly Joseph played throughout the series, but his experience in San Antonio made him the ideal choice. Moreover, it afforded Casey the opportunity to go with continuity in a pressure filled moment. To that end, the familiar quartet of Lowry, Joseph, DeRozan and Patterson provided a group who finished most playoff games together last season.
Ultimately, the experience and depth of the Raptors was just too much for Milwaukee to overcome. The Bucks have a bright future with a true MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Certainly, when the Greek Freak develops consistency from range there won’t be a player (aside from Kawhi Leonard) who’ll be able to stop him.
After holding the Bucks to 36.8 percent in the first half the Bucks finished with 42.1 percent. Several Raptors figured in the win but it was star DeMar DeRozan who punctuated the victory with a rim rocking dunk and crucial clutch time, free throws.
Toronto won the battle of the glass (43–38), field and perimeter scoring (45.8% and 40.9% respectively compared to 42.1% and 36.8%). Several categories were played to a draw such as points in the paint and fast break points. Not allowing the Bucks to win either of these battles was also contributing factors to the win.
In the second quarter Kidd chose to go uber small so Casey countered with a three point guard lineup of Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph and Delon Wright.
Last season Norman Powell became the focus of this scribe’s attention in terms of his upside and frequent articles calling for consistent playing time. This season Wright replaced Powell as my new obsession. Utilizing Wright versus the Bucks offered length to counter Milwaukee’s size, but it’s moves like he pulled on Jon Henson which showcase his incredible upside.
Not to be lost, Raptor killers Greg Monroe and Tony Snell were held ineffective this evening scoring a combined 8 points.
Lessons Learned:
While the majority of pundits selected the Raptors to win this series quickly, having it extend to six games may prove to be a blessing in disguise. Despite Kyle Lowry fighting through lower back stiffness he found his rhythm and chemistry in the final 3 games of the series.
Reflecting back, each win by the Raptors offered something to build upon moving forward. Game 2 showcased a gusty must win, Game 4 provided a gritty stellar defensive contest and Game 5 offered a revitalized offense akin to the juggernaut ranked NBA first through mid January. But, the true victory comes from closing out the series after surrendering a 25-point lead.
It is often stated the hardest step in the path to victory is the final one. To that end, Toronto is a franchise bereft of ample history with the Raptors still over coming demons. To be fair, this iteration of the Raptors is far more comfortable coming back in games to win as they did a League leading 21 times after trailing by double digits. Scaling this mountain offers another experience for this group to draw from.
In additional Franchise news, the Raptors 905 (Toronto’s D-League Affiliate coached by Jerry Stackhouse) won the NBDL title tonight. Somewhere, Fran Fraschilla is smiling as Bruno Cabloclo registered a double-double of 31 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and hit 5 of 7 from deep. Draft analyst Fraschilla infamously quipped “Caboclo is 2 years from being 2 years away.”
By virtue of clinching the series in 6 games Toronto are afforded 3 full days off. Plus, it’s a welcome respite, especially for Lowry to get additional physiotherapy and rest. While squads scrap to win home court advantage, in a rarity, it may behoove the Raptors to begin the Eastern Conference Semi’s on the road given their propensity for losing series openers at the ACC.
As the Raptors shift their attention to the true phantasm of the East, they arrive with the knowledge this revamped version of the Raptors while flawed, is still a continually improving work in progress. Likewise, the 2017 Cavaliers squad is also vastly different than the team Toronto met in the 2016 Conference Finals. Specifically, Cleveland has the worst defensive rating of any remaining playoff squad, whereas Toronto rank second to the Warriors. Still, Toronto will be considerable underdogs, but that is a role this team is far more comfortable in.
Check back with 16 Wins A Ring this week for the series preview.
Milwaukee Bucks Analysis by Brian Sampson
What Worked:
The Milwaukee Bucks looked dead in the water, falling behind by 25 points in the third quarter. Then, lightning struck and the Bucks were able to turn it around and actually take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Even though the Raptors responded and ultimately won the game, it was a good effort by the young Bucks.
What is important to remember for Bucks fans is that the Bucks are just beginning as a work in progress, whereas the Raptors are a finished product.
With that being said, the Milwaukee Bucks have a lot to look forward to with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He proved in this series that he is a force to be reckoned with. At 22 years old, Antetokounmpo will also only improve as time goes on.
Lessons Learned:
The Bucks were outsmarted at every turn. Dwayne Casey was always two steps ahead of Jason Kidd.
Casey decided to make his series changing move in game four, by inserting Norman Powell into the starting lineup. That proved to be a game changer for the Raptors as Powell caught fire.
Kidd, on the other hand, waited until the second half of game six to make any major changes. He inserted Giannis at center for short stretches but then put him on DeRozan on the defensive side of the floor. This helped slow down the Raptors on offense and limited DeRozan’s production. In the future, Kidd should make his changes earlier rather than later.
Neutral Preview by Christopher Kline
Why the Raptors Won:
Toronto took the upper hand with a dominant first half, and bolstered it via a strong second half start. With just under 5 minutes remaining in the third quarter the Raptors had built a 25 point lead. In hindsight, this massive lead was critical as it afforded Toronto to play from ahead in what was one of this season’s more impressive post season comeback performances.
The Bucks pulled all the way back to a 2-point lead in the final 5 minutes of the game. But, a timely 9–0 run from Toronto stabilized their momentum and allowed them to hang on in exhilarating fashion.
DeMar DeRozan and Cory Joseph came up with the plays that inevitably swayed things in Toronto’s favor, and their improvements — both in terms of ball movement and spacing — are positives heading into their second round matchup against Cleveland. Moving forward its imperative Toronto learns they can’t blow big leads.
Why the Bucks Lost:
The Bucks comeback was predicated on a freakish run from the Greek Freak Giannis shouldered an inordinate load with essentially no rest to power an offensively-challenged Milwaukee squad to a 27-point swing. That also meant that Antetokounmpo was tired down the stretch, and there simply wasn’t enough Jason Terry and Khris Middleton magic alongside him to keep pace with the Raptors’ late surge.
Despite a crucial 10 minute stretch in which Milwaukee rendered Toronto’s offense dysfunctional, the Bucks’ earlier mistakes and lack of execution down the stretch inevitably did them in.
There’s a lot for this Bucks team to be excited about — starting with the fact that Giannis is, unequivocally, a top 10 player at this point. This was a rough game to lose, and Antetokounmpo, as well as the rest of the squad, will take some time to digest such a brutal defeat. That said, I expect some major improvements next year.
