The Milwaukee Bucks travel to the Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have won four of their past six games and they will be eager to keep it going after taking down the Bulls in a 118-109 home win on Monday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team witih 35 points and 11 rebounds on 13 of 22 shooting, Bobby Portis added 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench while Khris Middleton chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Bucks shot 47 percent from the field and 15 of 47 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with a 35-18 first quarter to take an early 17-point lead which kept them in front till the end. Damian Lillard had a rough game as he shot three of 17 from the field and one of nine from the 3-point line.
Milwaukee Bucks Player Facts
- Damian Lillard ranks 4th amongst qualified players for FT% (93.3%) this season.
- Brook Lopez ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (2.2) this season.
Toronto Raptors
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have won three of their past four games overall and they will be eager to stay hot after sneaking past the Wizards in a 111-107 win on Monday. Pascal Siakam led the way with 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists on 15 of 23 shooting, Scottie Barnes added 19 points with nine rebounds, four assists and five steals. As a team, the Raptors shot 50 percent from the field and four of 20 from the 3-point line as they got off to a terrible start and trailed by as many as 23 points before they clicked into gear and dominated the second half by 66-43 to cap off the impressive comeback.
Toronto Raptors Player Facts
- Jakob Poeltl ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for FG% (66.7%) this season.
- Dennis Schroder ranks 7th amongst qualified players for assists per game (7.7) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Raptors rank 30th in the league for free throw percentage this season (70.8%).
- The Raptors rank 30th in the league for Q2 points per game this season (23.9).
- The Bucks rank 1st in the league for free throw attempts per game this season (28.6).
- The Bucks rank 30th in the league for field goal attempts per game this season (85.1).
Peter's Pick
The Bucks have listed Antetokounmpo as probable due to right calf injury management, while the Raptors have ruled out Gary Trent Jr and OG Anunoby. The Raptors are playing good basketball at the moment, so they're more than capable of pulling off the upset at home, but the Bucks are the clear favorites given their revamped lineup. It's tempting to take the Raptors at home, but they've already played the Bucks at home this season back on Nov 1 and it was the Bucks who romped to a 130-111 win. I'm expecting a closer contest in this meeting, but I still think the Bucks get the win and cover on the road.
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
