NBA Playoffs, Recap 4 — Crunch Time Matchups
Toronto at Milwaukee may be end up being the most exciting game so far
Throughout these playoffs so far, we’ve seen some exciting games. We’ve seen Chicago go up 2–0 on Boston, Utah win an improbable game one without Rudy Gobert, and Dave Fizdale unleash one of the best postgame rants in recent memory:
But I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the most important game so far is coming up tonight. It’s also on NBA TV, meaning that few people will actually see it, but that’s another issue entirely. The Raptors, who are the second best team in the East, absolutely have to win this game against a young, athletic Milwaukee team that has their entire season in jeopardy.
After Toronto lost game one (their annual habit), the team managed to pull off a game two victory that felt less than inspiring. A win is a win, of course, but the Bucks hung around enough to keep Raptors fans from truly being happy with the victory. Now, there are two games in Milwaukee, and each of them is a must-win for the Raptors.
This game is exciting because of how the series has gone so far, but also because the stakes are so high for the Raptors. Milwaukee struggled through youth, inexperience, and mostly injuries to get here, and few people expected a sixth-place finish at the beginning of the season. I’m not suggesting that they don’t want to win (they absolutely do), but there’s so much less pressure on the Bucks right now. Toronto has invested a payload of money and assets into this 2017 playoff team, and will face real roster problems at the end of the season. If the Raptors can’t get out of the first round this season, it may be their most disappointing playoff failure yet.
Take a look at some of these statistics. Toronto looks fine overall, but they need to start outshooting the Bucks over the rest of the series. Milwaukee has too much length and athleticism (essentially, too much Giannis) to let the Raptors win this series without a shooting edge, and Toronto’s shooters (Kyle Lowry, especially) need to play better. This is hardly a unique observation on my part, but it’s worth nothing nonetheless.
Both other games tonight should be fun, but these series are both at 2–0 and lack some of the excitement of Milwaukee vs. Toronto. As much as I love Fizdale’s rant, I think the Spurs will win tonight. And as much as I love Paul George, I think the Cavs will win tonight, as well. Even if they don’t these series have probably been decided, though. But Bucks/Raptors should be tons of fun, and I really am not sure who I think will win.
