The Toronto Raptors are set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Should this match-up be viewed as a must-win?
Pretty much every collective basketball mind knew that the Milwaukee Bucks were going to be a force this season. So far, that proclamation has been true. The Bucks have already clinched a playoff spot after the Washington Wizards lost to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night – they become the fastest ever team to secure a spot in the postseason. What many people didn’t expect, however, is just how good the Toronto Raptors would be.
While the Bucks sit with a 49-8 record, alone at the top of the NBA a considerable margin, the Raptors are currently second in the East with a 42-15 record and two and a half games ahead of the Boston Celtics in third. For many, the Raptors were viewed as a team that wouldn’t be in contention this year after Kawhi Leonard left in free agency to join the LA Clippers after winning the title with the Raptors last year.
The Bucks and Raptors have a recent history with one another – they’ve met twice in the playoffs in the past three seasons, with the Raptors most recently defeating the Bucks in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, winning four straight games after dropping the first two to leave them in an 0-2 hole.
Now, one season later and the Bucks are dominating the East in the regular season with Giannis Antetokounmpo en route to his second MVP title in two years. Right now, the Bucks have total control of the Eastern Conference with 25 games remaining in the regular season – it’s pretty unlikely that they’ll be caught, especially considering that they’re on course for over 70 wins this season.
The Raptors and Bucks are set to do battle on Tuesday night for the final time in the regular season. For the Bucks, it’s a chance to get one over on the current champions, while for the Raptors, it’s an opportunity to pull within a game closer of the Bucks and extend their gap over the Boston Celtics.
Every game matters in the NBA, but is this game a must-win for the Toronto Raptors?
The Bucks are the barometer
While the Raptors are the current champions, the Bucks are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best team in the NBA this season. Holders of the best defense and the best net rating in the NBA, Mike Budenholzer’s team has destroyed everyone in their path and looks to build on those performances in the playoffs.
After last season’s acrimonious exit from the postseason, the Bucks will be looking to right their wrongs and go all the way this year. With a playoff spot already clinched and the first seed in sight for the Bucks, they could be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas.
The Raptors are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference and any match-up against the Bucks is an opportunity to evaluate how good this team is.
However, this game shouldn’t be viewed as a must-win.
Injuries are still prominent
It’s hard to view the game as a must-win considering the circumstances. The Raptors are seven games back of the Bucks heading into Tuesday night – there is just no way that they’re catching the Bucks.
Sure, a win would pull the Raptors closer to their rivals, but the odds of catching the Bucks are slim-to-none and, realistically, aren’t worth worrying about. For the Raptors, the rest of the season should be about securing the two-seed, it’s effectively the same scenario they found themselves in last year – only this time, the Bucks are even better and the gap is even larger.
Right now, the Raptors are dealing with some significant injuries to the roster too. Marc Gasol and Norman Powell are both out with respective injuries and both are huge players for the Raptors this season. Without them, it’s hard to get a real reading on how the two teams match-up.
Gasol’s interior defense could be the difference between Antetokounmpo being subdued or going off in the series and Powell will provide some timely scoring off the bench in the midst of his career year. Without either player, the Raptors are weakened.
That’s not to say that the Raptors shouldn’t be optimistic heading into the game, but tying it in as a must-win seems like the wrong move right now, all things considered. Regardless, it’ll likely be a great game.