Bucks 104 – Raptors 77: Dude, where’s my team?

The Raptors were embarrassed in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series by the Bucks. Milwaukee was in control from the opening tip.

With a shocking and pitiful effort in a critical game, the Toronto Raptors dug themselves a huge hole. The Milwaukee Bucks beat our team in every element of basketball, surging to an absurd and unassailable lead before the game was 20 minutes old.

The dismissive term “Trash Brothers” has been popping up as a meme to describe the Raptors backcourt in the post-season. Sadly, it was apropos on this night. DeMar DeRozan didn’t make a field goal…no, that’s not a typo.  Our All-Star guard was thoroughly flummoxed by the length and quickness of multiple Buck defenders, and missed all eight shots he tried. Dwane Casey sat him down in Q4, as the game was hopelessly out of reach.

Kyle Lowry had more success, which obviously isn’t saying much. A 13-point night won’t cut against anyone, let alone a Milwaukee squad which seemed to take nothing but quality shots. The Bucks were rewarded for their snappy ball movement, racking up 29 assists, compared to the hapless Raptors’ 11.

Clearly, if our best options aren’t scoring, someone else needs to. Someone else, though, didn’t show up. DeMarre Carroll, whose leash is getting shorter every game, clanked 2 3-balls early and was all but forgotten. Jonas Valanciunas isn’t getting the ball much these days, and is getting pounded when he does. This night was no different.

Serge Ibaka’s fine shooting in Toronto stayed there. He wasn’t getting much room either.

Here are just a few data points to illustrate how awful this game was for the Raptors, who were ghastly on both sides of the ball. They had 46 points after 3 quarters, which isn’t surprising considering they shot just over 26% as a team in those 36 minutes. Norman Powell’s 4 baskets in Q4 equaled or exceeded all of Toronto’s starters. They were never in the lead, or even in a tie.

Meanwhile, the Bucks had seven players with at least one of their 12 made 3-balls, on only 23 tries.

Raptors offense is being stymied

Clearly, coach Jason Kidd doesn’t believe the Raptors can beat his team with shooting. He’s asking his long guard pairing of Malcolm Brogdon and Tony Snell to get close enough to our guys on the perimeter to smell their after-shave. Normally you can defeat that kind of scheme by taking the ball to the hole, but the Bucks are making that counter-move all but impossible. With mobile young giants like Thon Maker and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greg Monroe isn’t mobile, but he’s smart and draws charges) able to provide paint support, our attacking guards aren’t finding a path.

Drive and kick should be working, but without a reliable shooter from either the corner or top of the arc, the Bucks aren’t paying a price. The Raptors need to find TRoss 2.0 right quick.

Game Four is Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. I’ll be offering my thoughts on some changes the Raptors need to make shortly.