One of the closer Series in the NBA playoffs is the Bucks and Raptors series. The Bucks dominated the Raptors in game three, and the Raptors backcourt struggled to find their shot. In game four, it was a different story as the Raptors found their shot and defeated the Bucks 87-76. Demar Derozan was a man among boys this game, scoring a game-high 33 points. The Bucks struggled offensively, and they couldn't stop the backcourt of the Raptors. The Raptors were able to tie the series 2-2 and now it is a best of three series, with game five in Toronto.
DeMar DaMan
DeMar DeRozan needed to have a better game than his game three performance. In that game three blowout, he didn't see any of his shots go down, going 0-8 from the field and only chipping in eight points. He made sure he didn't have a repeat performance, as he started scoring early and often for the Raptors. DeRozan scored 21 of his 33 points in the first half, letting the fans of Milwaukee know he came to play. He shot over 50 percent from the field and was 9-9 from the free throw line. DeRozan also logged 9 rebounds and 5 assists. He logged a heavy amount of minutes this game with 40 minutes, but when you had a bad game, you want to be on the floor as much as you can. Kyle Lowry also helped out with 18 points, 14 of them coming in the second half.
Defensive Battle
This game was a defensive battle, as the score clearly shows. Both teams shot the ball poorly, neither of them shooting over 45 percent from the field. It was even worse from deep as both teams shot under 25 percent from three-point range. Both teams relied on their defense to keep them in the game, but the Raptors defense played much better.
The Raptors defense caused the Bucks to commit 21 turnovers, eight more than the Raptors. Raptors Coach Duane Casey preaches defense to his team and they listened today, shutting down a Bucks offense that put up 104 on them in game three. Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 6-19 from the floor and only scoring 14 in the game. Tony Snell was the leading scorer for the Bucks with 19 points.
The Bucks couldn't find their shot in this game, and it ended up costing them down the stretch, as they went cold from the field. Defense played a big role in game four and many should expect the same in game five.
The Raptors managed to even this series after the game four defensive win. The were able to regain home court advantage, and expect to have a rowdy fan base back in Toronto for game five. The Bucks will be looking for answers offensively, as the couldn't get a shot in the bucket in game four. Game five will be on Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. EST on NBATV.
