Bucks at Raptors
The Toronto Raptors look to tie the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2 when they host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on Tuesday. The Raptors ensured this would be a competitive series by recording a 118-112 double-overtime victory in Sunday's Game 3.
Toronto star small forward Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points while playing 52 minutes and limped through the two overtimes as he helped keep his club in the mix for its first-ever NBA Finals appearance. "I just want to win," Leonard told reporters afterward. "That's it. Nobody wants to go home. We want to keep striving and reach that goal, and that's it. That's why I pride myself on (playing) both ends of the floor, and this is what happens." Leonard was assigned to defend Bucks star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had just 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting and committed eight turnovers before fouling out. "Giannis is the MVP of this league," Milwaukee guard Malcolm Brogdon told reporters. "He's had the best season in the NBA this year. We're not worried about Giannis bouncing back from this one."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT, TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE BUCKS: Milwaukee was close to taking a 3-0 series lead but couldn't pull it off and the poor outing by Antetokounmpo (who had 23 rebounds) helped keep the club out of that position. "We don't like losing. We know we are two games away from the NBA Finals," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "We cannot jump steps. We have to do it a game at a time, a play at a time, a day at a time." Veteran point guard George Hill continued his strong postseason play with 24 points of 7-of-9 shooting and reached double digits in six of the past seven games.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS: Toronto appears to know they have to ride Leonard to have any chance of winning the series and the soon-to-be free agent indicated his body was sore - expectedly - after his career-high, 52-minute outing. "It's 52 minutes, and it's the playoffs, so you definitely feel it," Leonard told reporters. "When you play 30 minutes, you feel it still. Just got to not worry about it and get my treatment and move on to the next one." Fellow frontcourt starters Pascal Siakam (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Marc Gasol (16 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots) also gave strong efforts while swingman Norman Powell provided 19 points in 30 minutes off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks SF Khris Middleton (10.7 average in the series) and PG Eric Bledsoe (9.3) each were just 3-of-16 shooting in Game 3.
2. Toronto backup PG Fred VanVleet was 1-of-11 shooting in Game 3 and is just 7-of-44 over the last 10 games.
3. Brogdon scored 20 points in Game 3 and is averaging 16.3 in the series.