Toronto flips the game in the third quarter
Three of Toronto’s regulars were in street clothes on Friday night, and the Raptors still beat Milwaukee 121-107 in an NBA Cup game that produced a pile of career highs. Kawhi Leonard (knee) has now been out for almost two weeks, and Scottie Barnes (groin/adductor) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) were surprise absences.
The Bucks started faster. They led by as many as 14 in the first quarter, and Brayden Burries scored 11 of Milwaukee’s 31 second-quarter points to stretch the halftime lead to 60-51. Toronto trailed by as many as 15 at one stage, then rebuilt the game after the break.
Alijah Martin’s three-pointer with 5:41 left in the third gave the Raptors their first lead. Tyler Herro answered with his only three of the night to make it 72-71, but Toronto kept coming. Allen Graves finished a cutting layup and the free throw that followed to cap a 9-0 run and make it 82-79 with 2:17 left in the quarter. Toronto never gave the lead back.
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Career nights up and down the Toronto roster
Martin finished with a career-high 27 points off the bench. RJ Barrett, who exploded in the second half, also scored 27. Jamal Shead had 10 points and a career-high 16 assists, while Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles each scored 19. Poeltl added 11 rebounds, including seven in a fourth quarter where he scored 11 points.
That bounce-back matters. The Raptors were outscored 41-15 in the third quarter against Denver on Wednesday, and Poeltl managed only eight points and five rebounds in that game. A week of poor second-half habits turned around in a single night.
For Milwaukee, Herro led the way with 23 points and 10 assists, but the Bucks lost their fifth straight. Burries had a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 14, Kyle Kuzma 13, AJ Green 12 and Ryan Rollins 10. The result was Toronto’s fourth consecutive win over Milwaukee.
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