Bucks Zone

Brook Lopez erupts in fourth, powers the Milwaukee Bucks over the Toronto Raptors

The Splash Mountain was simply unstoppable in the fourth.

Matthew Dugandzic

Brook Lopez erupts in fourth, powers the Milwaukee Bucks over the Toronto Raptors
Brook Lopez erupts in fourth, powers the Milwaukee Bucks over the Toronto Raptors /
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The Milwaukee Bucks leaned on the fourth quarter brilliance of Brook Lopez to outlast the Toronto Raptors, 118-111, on Sunday night.

Lopez dropped a game-high 26 points, and 17 of them came in the final quarter, where he single-handedly outscored the entire Toronto squad, which just managed 16 points in the fourth.

Momentum swing

Milwaukee was down by six before the final 12 minutes of the game, 89-95, but Lopez racked up eight straight points that put the Bucks ahead for good, 97-95. After Lopez’s personal outburst, the Bucks staged a 7-2 run and slowly broke away after racing to a 104-97 lead with 5:04 left.

Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said Lopez’s strong showing made the difference.

“It changed the game,” Budenholzer explained. “I think what he did offensively was important, and then the defense always stands out. It was a little bit muddy, not a pretty game there, and he stepped up and kind of just changed our feel and changed the momentum for us, particularly offensively, which we needed tonight.”

Bucks still best in the league

The Splash Mountain’s endgame brilliance preserved Giannis Antetokounmpo’s equally excellent performance. The Greek Freak tallied his 33rd career triple-double by finishing with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Antetokounmpo went 9-for-9 from the field as the Bucks rebounded from a 139-123 loss to the Indiana Pacers to improve to NBA-best 51-20.

Khris Middleton chipped in 20 points, while Bobby Portis Jr. added 14 for the Bucks, who are the first team to reach 50 wins and the first squad to make the playoffs this season following their win over the Phoenix Suns a few days ago. Milwaukee also maintains a safe distance from its competition as the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Fred VanVleet led Toronto with 23 points, while O.G. Anunoby contributed 22. Dropping to 35-37, the Raptors saw their three-game win streak come to an end and missed the chance of moving to eighth spot in the East.

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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.