Backs, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Slumping Raptors Brace

The Toronto Raptors hope a six-game homestand starting Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks will reverse their recent struggle.

After losing 122-114 to the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Monday, the Raptors have lost 9 of their last 12 games, including 5 of 6 at home.

“It’s a great opportunity in front of the home crowd,” said Pascal Siakam, who scored 26 goals on Monday. “I hope you’ll stay with us in the future. The atmosphere in the arena is great and I hope we can come in with a lot of energy as players. It’s an important stretch for us.”

The Bucks have also been having trouble lately. They lost five of their last six before beating the visiting Washington Wizards 123-113 on Tuesday, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 19 of his career-high 55 points in the fourth quarter. did.

Antetokounmpo returned to the game after missing one game with a knee injury. He has scored his 40 or better in each of his last three contests, and in that span he has scored 143. It was the Bucks’ three-game franchise record, surpassing Flynn Robinson’s 129 points in February 1969.

“I want to be in a position where my game becomes boring,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just do what I do and people don’t talk about it because it gets boring.

“I do it every night. That’s what I want to do. I want other people to find my game boring. But I don’t get bored. The great, the best players never They don’t get bored. They go out there. And they always try their best every night.”

He also recorded 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

“He was phenomenal,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s hard to come up with all the words to describe him. He was incredibly special (on Tuesday).”

Also returning to the Bucks lineup on Tuesday was Drew Holiday, who has missed the last three games due to illness. He scored 6 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Brook Lopez had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Milwaukee, while reserve Bobby Portis had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Milwaukee’s George Hill has missed three straight games due to a non-COVID illness.

Wednesday’s game will be the first game of the season between the teams. Last season Toronto beat Milwaukee 3-0.

Fred VanVleet and Precious Achiuwa returned to the Raptors lineup on Monday.

“It’s time to show what we’re going to do,” VanVleet said after practice on Sunday. “As we get healthier and start getting healthier, I think we will definitely see better products.”

VanVleet scored nine points in just over 36 minutes on Monday. Achiuwa scored 3 goals and shot 3 blocks in 12 minutes.

The Raptors got little off the Indiana bench and the Pacers’ reserves outscored Toronto’s reserves 54-7. Toronto manager Nick Nurse said his biggest concern with the reserves was a lack of defense.

“They are not stopped at all,” said Nurse. “We were really cramming (the Pacers) and they weren’t scoring at all and the floodgates were open. (The second unit) got out there and had the same level of defense as the first unit. I don’t think it maintains ‘has’, but it should at least be maintained a little. ”

–Field level media