Bucks Zone

3 takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks’ hard-earned win against Toronto Raptors

The Bucks salvaged what could've been an epic collapse against the Raptors.

Matthew Dugandzic

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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Giannis Antetokounmpo saved the Milwaukee Bucks from what could have been a gigantic collapse as he registered his 31st career-triple double to power the Bucks to a 104-101 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Arena.

Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks pull off a great escape by tallying 30 points, a season-high 21 rebounds, 10 assists, and one block. It was the second time this season that the former MVP recorded a triple-double.

The great performance came after Antetokounmpo went off for a career-high 55 points in the Bucks’ 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Giannis’ crucial assist

The Bucks looked destined for an easy win when they posted what looked like a safe 90-69 lead in the final 3:50 of regulation. But the Raptors never gave up as they came roaring back and tied the game at 97 on a three-pointer by Gary Trent Jr. with 1.1 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo missed an alley-oop layup following a Milwaukee timeout, sending the game into overtime. The Greek Freak was actually held scoreless in the overtime period, but he had two assists that helped the Bucks pull through.

The former two-time MVP sealed his triple-double with a pass to Grayson Allen for a three-pointer that set the final score after the game was tied at 101 with 10.8 seconds left in the overtime.

Grayson steps up big

Grayson Allen gave the Bucks a huge lift by scoring 16 points, including the team's final three of the game.

Allen also displayed versatility by adding five assists, four boards, and a steal in the game. He went 4-for-9 from the field, including a 2-for-5 clip from the three-point area.

Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton sat out yesterday's game. But with the help of Allen, along with Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis Jr., and MarJon Beauchamp, who all scored in double figures, the Bucks won their first of four meetings with the Raptors this season. Interestingly, Toronto went 3-0 versus Milwaukee last season.

Wasted effort

The loss put the Raptors' epic comeback to waste, leading to their second straight loss for a 16-22 record on the season.

The trio of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and Scottie Barnes led Toronto’s climb back into the game as they were at the forefront of that 28-7 run that helped the Raptors force overtime. VanVleet tallied 28 points and 12 assists, Trent had 22 points, and Barnes finished with 17, but the heroic comeback was not enough to pull out a gritty win in overtime.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.