Bucks at Raptors
Lineup changes no longer seem to be working for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have dropped nine of their last 13 games. The Bucks will try to find something at the defensive end when they visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
Milwaukee will play five of its next six games on the road, with the lone home date in that span against the undefeated Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The Bucks moved Michael Carter-Williams to the bench over a week ago and have gotten more offense out of the point guard in a reserve role but watched the defense, which had been strong in wins over New York and Portland, fall off again in a 109-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The Raptors are trending in the opposite direction with wins in seven of their last 10 games and just pulled off their most impressive triumph of the campaign – a 97-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. DeMar DeRozan went 10-of-15 from the field in the win and will take on a Milwaukee defense that was blitzed for 31 points by Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick on Wednesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), TSN (Toronto)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (9-14): Milwaukee surrendered a total of 16 fast-break points and held the Knicks and Trail Blazers to a combined 14-of-59 from 3-point range in its two wins but let the Clippers rush out to 19 points on the break and bury 12 3-pointers. "We must lead the league in giving up a basket when we score," Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "Someone goes in for a basket and falls, we might not have our guy (on defense) but we have to be able to read the floor and make the adjustment.” Milwaukee has lost its last eight road games.
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (14-9): The first of the Bucks’ nine road losses this season came at Toronto on Nov. 1, when DeRozan and Kyle Lowry put up 15 points apiece in a 106-87 blowout. That backcourt duo continues to produce and is taking turns leading the way, with Lowry grabbing 27 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday before DeRozan’s big game on Wednesday. “We have to build a consistent identity of playing this way if we’re serious about doing anything,” coach Dwane Casey told reporters after beating the Spurs. “We can be up and down and get happy on the farm and do all this one night and come back and lay an egg the next night.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lowry is averaging 26.8 points in the last five games.
2. Milwaukee C Greg Monroe posted four straight double-doubles.
3. Toronto F DeMarre Carroll (knee) sat out the last two games and is unlikely to return on Friday.