PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOP TOTALS TICKET >> PERFECT 6-0 with Playoff Totals!
(NBA) Toronto vs. Milwaukee,
Total: 194.50 | -105.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 194.50 | -105.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: Most felt that the Milwaukee Bucks would fall out of the East's playoff field after losing Jabarai Parker to an injury. Instead, a late-season surge allowed them to earn the No. 6 seed and now in their first rouns series against the favored Raptors (No. 3 seed), the Bucks have a chance to take a 3-1 lead in today's Game 4. The Bucks last won a playoff series in 2001 but won Game 1 in Toronto by 14 points and then routed the Raptors 104-77 back in Milwaukee in Game 3. "They ambushed us," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "There was no aspect of our game that we executed whatsoever." Toronto's leading scorer, All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (27.3 in the regular season), missed all eight of his field-goal attempts!
Toronto: Toronto fell behind by 20 points in the first quarter and had scored only 30 points by halftime. The Raptors were ice cold from the outset and finished the game at 33.8 percent shooting for the game. Toronto will also have to find a way to make things easier for DeRozan. Milwaukee effectively took away his ability to work the pick-and-roll. Lowry had a good Game 2 but he's shot 6 of 21 (2 of 13 on threes) combined in Games 1 and 3. Ibaka had strong games in Toronto but then had six points and three rebounds in Game 3. As for center Jonas Valanciunas, he's just 9-of-24 shooting in the series.
Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in the series plus SG Khris Middleton has scored 20 points in consecutive games. Center Greg Monroe, now a backup, is averaging 16 points and 8.7 rebounds through three games. In fact, Milwaukee had six scorers in double digits in Game 3, three starters and three reserves. "The guys on the floor and on the bench support them, and the coaching staff has done everything to prepare them for this moment," Bucks head coach Jason Kidd told reporters of his players. "It's up to them to be basketball players, and they're very comfortable with doing that. We try to keep things simple and have fun with it, and they do all the work."
The pick: The Raptors went 4-1 this season following losses by 15 points or more. The last two times it happened, Toronto responded with winning streaks of six and four games, respectively. I'm not completely convinced teh Raptors will bounce back but they have averaged 106.9 PPG this season, including two awful games in this series (83 and 77-point efforts). Also note, that the Bucks have averaged 106.0 PPG at home this season. Make the Over a 10* play.
Toronto: Toronto fell behind by 20 points in the first quarter and had scored only 30 points by halftime. The Raptors were ice cold from the outset and finished the game at 33.8 percent shooting for the game. Toronto will also have to find a way to make things easier for DeRozan. Milwaukee effectively took away his ability to work the pick-and-roll. Lowry had a good Game 2 but he's shot 6 of 21 (2 of 13 on threes) combined in Games 1 and 3. Ibaka had strong games in Toronto but then had six points and three rebounds in Game 3. As for center Jonas Valanciunas, he's just 9-of-24 shooting in the series.
Milwaukee: Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in the series plus SG Khris Middleton has scored 20 points in consecutive games. Center Greg Monroe, now a backup, is averaging 16 points and 8.7 rebounds through three games. In fact, Milwaukee had six scorers in double digits in Game 3, three starters and three reserves. "The guys on the floor and on the bench support them, and the coaching staff has done everything to prepare them for this moment," Bucks head coach Jason Kidd told reporters of his players. "It's up to them to be basketball players, and they're very comfortable with doing that. We try to keep things simple and have fun with it, and they do all the work."
The pick: The Raptors went 4-1 this season following losses by 15 points or more. The last two times it happened, Toronto responded with winning streaks of six and four games, respectively. I'm not completely convinced teh Raptors will bounce back but they have averaged 106.9 PPG this season, including two awful games in this series (83 and 77-point efforts). Also note, that the Bucks have averaged 106.0 PPG at home this season. Make the Over a 10* play.
