Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 3
Toronto win Game 3 in 2OT (118–112) and make the series 2–1
Toronto needed to win Game 3, losing Game 3 would have presented an almost insurmountable challenge. The Raptors played with the knowledge that the season could be effectively over if they lost against the Bucks in the first game of their home-stand. Toronto’s stepped up and delivered massively when it mattered as they scraped by the Bucks to take Game 3. It now means that Game 4 will be finely poised, Milwaukee will want to take Game 3 so that they can finish the Raptors off at the Fiserv Forum however the momentum now exists with Toronto. There is now legitimate confidence buzzing around the Raptors as for the first time in a while, the entire team played well. In the last Game, Marc Gasol was a liability for the Raptors, he was on the court without providing positive production. In Game 3, we saw a completely different player.
Marc came out of the gate aggressive and was a key reason behind the Raptors building a lead out that the Milwaukee Bucks could never truly defeat. His three-point shot which has been inconsistent during the post-season came back to him as he knocked 4–8 from behind the arc and seemed confident every single time that he shot the ball. There was none of the worrying or second guessing that we have seen from Gasol throughout this post-season, he simply took his opportunities. It was really important for the Raptors for Gasol to operate as he did as it cleaned up the offence and reduce any chance for vague, meandering posessions. He found a rhythm early in the game and showed off the multi-skilled player that he is. A player who had built his game brick by brick in a difference conference for his home-town team was now using his skills to fight for the ultimate goal, the NBA championship. A player like Marc has won everything else that matters to him, he has been a DPOY, a 3x All-Star and the leader of his home-town franchise. The last thing that eludes is the ultimate legacy play, the NBA championship.
He played a top-level game when it mattered most. He was brilliant shooting the ball but the most impressive aspects of his game were his passing and defence on Giannis. On countless occasions, Gasol would drift into dribble hand-offs and other ball-handling opportunities. His smooth and brutally simple passing game worked a treat for a Raptors’ offence that tries to find the best shot wherever possible. There were even occasions where he drove into the paint and found a kick-out to a waiting Norman Powell. His decision-making on the offensive end was big for the Raptors who often rely on Kawhi Leonard to produce everything on the offensive end. His defence on Giannis was exemplary as he forced ‘The Greek Freak’ into shooting just 5–16 from the field. The Raptors’ defence on Giannis changed throughout the game, they did not run one set coverage on Giannis but there was a concerted effort by Toronto to force the play-maker to make a high-post pass into Giannis. On multiple possessions, Kyle Lowry played his haranguing style of defence and didn't gave Eric Bledsoe to work out. Lowry was excellent in sealing off options for Bledsoe and giving him just two options, a Lopez three-pointer or a pass to Giannis inside.
As soon as Giannis entered in a high-post situation, the Raptors ran a double with Gasol as a primary defender or help defender in each situation. The combination of length and defensive smarts from Siakam and Gasol threw Giannis off, it became difficult for him to navigate his way to the rim or to get a quality pass to one of his team-mates. The Raptors deserve a lot of credit for designing a defensive scheme that took away the Bucks’ primary creator and made everything much harder than it was in Game 2.
The concept of home-cooking is an old concept but it’s importance cannot be understated. Role players play better in front of their crowds and with their home comforts. For the Raptors, this applied for their entire teams which has been shaky on the road in both the Bucks and Sixers series. Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam both turned up and played efficiently games in which they took shots within the flow of the offence and supported Kawhi Leonard. On the occasions that the Bucks doubled Kawhi, Siakam and Lowry knocked down their open shots and fulfilled their role within the offence. I noted the other day that the Raptors needed their starters to perform to off-set their bench’s negative impact, in this game everybody stepped up and grabbed the W.
For the Bucks, they should not be too disheartened, the starters played poorly for the entire game and yet they only lost by six points in double overtime. None of the starters bar Brook Lopez played particularly well but the bench unit came through. A lot of credit has to go to George Hill for the game that he played against the Raptors. He had 24/7/2 against a Raptors’ defence that was aggressive and stingy. He was efficient from the floor and got buckets when the game looked like it could be slipping away from the Bucks. Hill looks like a completely different player in Milwaukee than he did in Cleveland. In Cleveland, Hill looked like a passenger on a rollercoaster that depended solely on the engine of LeBron. In Milwaukee Coach Bud had designed an offence that is more structured and for Hill it fits his playstyle more. George Hill is more a traditional point guard, his ability comes from exploiting weaknesses in the half-court instead of pushing the pace whereverr possible. In Cleveland, the aim of the offence was to go as hard as you can and let LeBron run the offence. This does not fit Hill’s style who likes to control every single possession and produce perfect possessions each time down the floor.
In Milwaukee, Hill gets the handle the ball as a primary creator on each possession and choose how the offence runs. It has meant that Hill has become similar to the player who he was in Indiana alongside Paul George. He plays within himself and is a tough defender who makes life hell for the opposing guard rotation. For Milwaukee, this veteran experience has been incredibly valuable. Hill has managed the flow of the game adeptly and limit opposing runs while maximising Milwaukee’s runs. Him and Malcolm Brogdon have been big for Milwaukee in continuing to provide solid play-making off the bench in terms of completely falling apart like Toronto does when they rely on Fred VanVleet. Milwaukee’s bench provided 54 points and outscored Toronto’s bench by 27 points and kept the game close. That depth and ability is the reason why Milwaukee needs to be heartened, they have the ability to keep up a high level of production with their reserves. If the starters play an average game, Milwaukee wins this game and they can take some comfort from this knowledge.
Game 4 is going to be incredibly interesting from more than a few perspectives. There has been a momentum shift in favour of the Raptors, they believe that if they defend home-court the series is definitely winnable. The type of victory will also build confidence as they won a tight game against a tough opponent. There will be a general feeling among the Raptor players that they can get stops and make tough shots when it matters. Milwaukee has a distinct interest in making sure that they steal a game off the Raptors. If the Raptors defend home court and tie the series up going back to Milwaukee, anything can happen. It becomes a best of three between the two games, the probability of an inferior team upsetting a more talented one only becomes higher. It only takes one monstrous performance or terrible refereeing performance for an upset to occur. Milwaukee has to finish the series and that starts in the ScotiaBank Arena. Toronto are in a similar boat, it is in their interest to take Milwaukee apart but they have a different reason. Kawhi played 52 minutes of 56 potential minutes in Game 3, he will need the additional rest days so that he can get healthy for a series against the Warriors. In Game 3, Kawhi was limping and it could be possible that he has developed a leg injury. He is the Raptors principal player, he has to be at full health for a potential NBA Finals.
