Raptors Return To Old Form In Dominating Victory Over Bucks

The Toronto Raptors appear to be back.

Boy, it’s been a weird start to the season. First, it was the 2-8 start that threw the NBA off the scent. Then it seemed as though every time the Raptors took two steps forward, stringing together a couple of wins, they’d take a big step back, dropping games to the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

It’s true, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a bit of a funk right now. They’re losers of their last five straight, but the Raptors who showed up Thursday night, knocking off Milwaukee 110-96, can contend with anyone in the league.

What’s particularly strange is how well the Raptors have played without Kyle Lowry. The 34-year-old missed half of Tuesday night’s game and all of Thursday’s game and Toronto didn’t miss a beat. Instead, Raptors coach Nick Nurse shifted the load onto Fred VanVleet and the 26-year-old point guard showed why Toronto can be optimistic about the organization’s future.

VanVleet has followed in Lowry’s footsteps. He gets the most out of the guys around him without pushing them too far.

In the first quarter, he fed Chris Boucher for an easy look at the rim. When Boucher missed at the layup, VanVleet turned and yelled at him.

“Get big,” the 6-foot guard yelled, lifting his shoulders to try and enlarge his body. 

Three possessions later, he went right back to the Canadian big, finding Boucher on a pick-and-roll for a slam dunk finish.

In the third quarter, Toronto pulled ahead as far as 23 points, but Milwaukee wouldn’t go away. A 7-0 run from the Bucks put some scare into the Raptors. But not VanVleet. Instead of wilting in the third for the countless time this season, VanVleet stepped up and nailed a 3-pointer to quell the run. On the very next offensive possession, he went right at Giannis Antetokounmpo in isolation, blowing past the 6-foot-11 reigning MVP for a layup at the rim.

With VanVleet leading the way scoring 17 points and eight assists, Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam thrived by his side. They scored 29 and 27 points, respectively, with VanVleet recording assists on three of their buckets each.

While the offence may have been impressive, it was the defence that really looked like Toronto Raptors defence. They held the Bucks to a season’s worst 41 points in the first half, swarming Antetokounmpo and holding him and Khris Middleton to just 16 points before the break. Antetokounmpo found some success in the third quarter, but the Raptors clamped down on Middleton and held the Bucks to just 96 points, their lowest of the season.

Malachi Flynn Completes The Double Header

Raptors rookie Malachi Flynn arrived at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee just 40 minutes prior to the game. He had spent the morning in the G League Bubble leading the Raptors 905 to a 117-92 victory over the Salt Lake Stars. After playing 33 minutes in Orlando, he jumped on a chartered flight, joined the Raptors, and logged 4:39 minutes against the Bucks.

When he checks in on Friday night he will have played four games in three days.

Up Next: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Raptors will head to Minnesota for the second half of their back-to-back on Friday night at 9 p.m. ET. Kyle Lowry will miss the game due to a left thumb sprain, according to Raptors coach Nick Nurse.