Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 23 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 99-85 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup matchup between the league’s two worst teams.
Bobby Portis provided a spark off the bench with 17 points for Milwaukee (3-8), while Brook Lopez added 13. AJ Green and Ryan Rollins each finished with 12 points as the Bucks snapped a two-game losing streak.
Gradey Dick was the lone bright spot for Toronto (2-10), scoring a career-high 32 points in his second NBA season. Jakob Poeltl contributed 13 points, and Chris Boucher chipped in with 12, but the Raptors dropped their fifth straight game.
Milwaukee took control in the third quarter, stretching its lead to 21 early in the fourth. Toronto made a late push, cutting the deficit to 10 with under five minutes remaining, but never got any closer.
Both teams were missing key players. The Bucks played without Damian Lillard, who remains in concussion protocol, while the Raptors’ Immanuel Quickley sat out due to an elbow injury.
Takeaways
Raptors: Dick had an explosive first half, scoring 22 points and going 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. He entered the game averaging 19 points per contest.
Bucks: With the Raptors packing the paint to limit Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee fired up 31 three-pointers in the first half and finished 16-for-56 (28.6%) from deep.
Key Moment
Toronto came out strong after halftime, using an 11-0 run to cut Milwaukee’s 11-point halftime lead. The Bucks quickly responded with an 11-2 surge of their own, punctuated by Green’s 3-pointer, restoring control.
Key Stat
Milwaukee ended its two-game losing streak, while Toronto’s skid extended to five games.
Up Next
Raptors: Return home to face the Detroit Pistons on Friday.
Bucks: Host Detroit on Wednesday.
