GAME #72 - Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks - March 19 - 8:00PM ET

[MixxAOR]

GAME #72 - TORONTO RAPTORS (35-36) at MILWAUKEE BUCKS (50-20)


https://twitter.com/halfgood_/status...626848768?s=20

TEAM NOTES

• The Toronto Raptors finished 3-0 during their three-game homestand (Mar. 14-18), defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-107 on Saturday night, splitting the season-series at one. The victory marked a season-high seven game home winning streak (Feb. 12 – Mar. 18) at Scotiabank Arena. The last time Toronto won seven-or-more games at home was Jan. 17 – Feb. 23, 2020, when they had a nine-game win streak. Toronto improves to 35-36, including 23-13 at home this season. The Raptors will play their second game of a back-to-back (Mar. 18-19) Sunday night in Milwaukee, with a chance to return to the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 9 when they sported a 13-13 record.

• Saturday’s contest marked Toronto’s 18th consecutive victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena, dating back to December 2004 and excluding the 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida.

• Toronto had six players finish with 10+ points (VanVleet – 28, Siakam – 27, Trent Jr. – 19, Anunoby – 15, Poeltl – 14, Barnes – 10) for the third consecutive game (Mar. 14-18). The Raptors improve to 15-8 this season when six-or-more players score in double figures. Toronto is the only team in the NBA this season with five players averaging 15+ points (Siakam - 24.2, VanVleet - 19.4, Trent Jr. - 17.7, Anunoby - 16.7, Barnes - 15.7). Toronto is also on pace to become the second team in the last 49 years to have 5+ players average 15+ points in a season (minimum 70% games played).

• The Raptors shot .533 (48-for-90) from the field vs. Minnesota and improve to 12-6 on the season when shooting 50 percent or better. Toronto has shot 50 percent or more in five of their last seven games (Mar. 4-18).

• Fred VanVleet recorded a game-high 28 points (10-18 FG, 3-7 3PT, 5-6 FT) – 15 of which he scored in the first quarter – and added seven assists, three rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes against Minnesota. VanVleet has scored double digit points in 22 of his last 24 games (Jan. 16 – Mar. 18) – including 20-or-more points 11 times – averaging 22.1 points in that span. He has scored 25-or-more points in a single-season career-high 21 games this year.

• Pascal Siakam tallied 27 points (11-22 FG, 4-6 FT), 10 rebounds and six assists on Saturday night for his second consecutive double-double (Mar. 16-18). Siakam has recorded a team-high 19 double-doubles this season – 16 of which have been 20-point performances. The Raptors improve to 47-17 all-time when Siakam records a 20-point double-double. Siakam (92) also passed Jose Calderon (91) tonight for fifth on Toronto’s all-time double-doubles list. Siakam is averaging career highs of 24.3 points and 5.9 assists, along with 7.7 rebounds in 61 games this season.

• Jakob Poeltl posted 14 points and 11 rebounds for his for his 17th double-double of the season, and sixth with Toronto. Poeltl has now recorded four consecutive double-doubles (Mar. 10-18) – tying a career-high (2X – last: Oct. 22-28, 2022) – and joins Siakam as the only Raptors to post four straight double-doubles (Oct. 26 – Nov. 2, 2022) this season. Poeltl is averaging 14.8 points and 11.0 rebounds, while shooting .571 (24-42) from the field during this span.

[Demographic Shift]

As you kill time or take time this afternoon have a look into the NCAA game between Kansas St. and Kentucky as two big dogs take each other on .
Kentucky's big man is Tshiebwe and KStates guy is Tomlin.
Both looking to out 20 year old testosterone each other.
So far its an epic standoff.

[The Great One]

Scheduled loss

[Primer]

Scheduled loss

Milwaukee just lost to Indy and haven't lost 2 in a row since January 14th, so yeah looking like a scheduled loss.

That's OK though, they are the best team in the NBA, with the best player in the NBA.

[Maury]

Would be an incredible win. Milwaukee should be the favourite to win it all this year. They also get up for the Raptors.

[planetmars]

Atlanta collapsed hard against the Spurs.. they were up 83 to 61 at half.. and ended up losing by 8. They had 35 points in the second half.

Raptors now tied with them. They own the tie breaker though.

[Dvdvideo]

We need this win more than the bucks, good test for the team. Do not fear the deer, eat the deer.

[Jclaw]

I believe in Mixx but it’s going to take a mixacle for us to get a win. But that might have been what the Spurs were saying at halftime

[golden]

If the Pacers can beat the Bucks... why not the Raptors? Not exactly a playoff game, but it would be a nice time for all of our players who are gunning for big contracts to show a little something.

[Dvdvideo]

The team has been playing pretty well together, they have a chance to win if they continue that. If players come out with a "big game" mentality and feel they have to play hero ball, this is when we will lose. (Looking at you vanvleet and siakam, just take what the defense is giving..move the ball, attack as needed, etc, just dont jack up volume bad shots)

[DanH]

Brutal schedule here but let's see! We've got the rotation working, starting lineup is clicking as expected, Gary getting into his groove off the bench, and the bench looks have a few options that work now (including small around the pair of Pascal and Scottie so even Nick's penchant for that pair isn't sinking us anymore). Game day!

[Gonzz]

The odds are that if we make the play in and win 2 games we would have the honour of playing the Bucks in the first round. Got to show them we are not a speed bump to their next title.

[DanH]

The odds are that if we make the play in and win 2 games we would have the honour of playing the Bucks in the first round. Got to show them we are not a speed bump to their next title.

Aren't the Bucks trending to 1st? We should be able to catch the 7/8 game by the end of the year in which case we can play the 2nd seed.

[Kagemusha]

Getting punched in the face game.

[golden]

Bucks couldn’t miss and we’re only down 4. Not bad.