Giannis Antetokounmpo powered the Milwaukee Bucks to a 99-85 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, scoring 23 points and lifting the Bucks to a much-needed NBA Cup victory.
With both teams coming into the game with the league’s two worst records, the Bucks (3-8) capitalized on a strong second half to move past the Raptors (2-10).
Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with his efficient shooting, going 9-for-12 from the field while also contributing four assists and four blocks.
Brook Lopez added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Bobby Portis came off the bench to score 17 points and secure eight rebounds.
AJ Green and Ryan Rollins each pitched in with 12 points, helping the Bucks build a substantial lead that they would not relinquish.
Toronto was led by Gradey Dick, who posted a career-high 32 points, with an impressive 22 of those points coming in the first half. Dick’s offensive outburst included hitting 4-of-10 from three-point range and making 14-of-16 free throws.
Jakob Poeltl added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Chris Boucher contributed 12 points off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Milwaukee’s late-game surge.
Milwaukee’s lead stretched to 21 points early in the fourth quarter, but Toronto managed to cut it to 10 points in the final five minutes before running out of steam.
The Bucks were notably without Damian Lillard, who is currently in the concussion protocol, while Toronto missed Immanuel Quickley due to an elbow injury.
Milwaukee leaned heavily on outside shooting, attempting 56 three-pointers as the Raptors concentrated their defense around the paint to contain Antetokounmpo. The Bucks finished the game shooting 28.6% from beyond the arc, which proved enough to pull ahead in the absence of their usual scoring depth.
Milwaukee’s defensive pressure forced Toronto into a difficult shooting night overall, holding them to 34.9% from the field.
The Bucks also dominated in steals, with Antetokounmpo and Delon Wright each recording five steals, disrupting the Raptors’ ball movement..
