After losing two games in Toronto, the Milwaukee Bucks are in need of a bounce back performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors. The series is tied at two games apiece, making this Game 5 on Thursday incredibly important to both of these teams.
Milwaukee Bucks
Game 4 was a tough one for Milwaukee, who gave up 120 points in defeat on Tuesday. That is two more points than the 118 points that the Raptors scored in their double OT victory in Game 3, showing just how bad the Bucks defense was in Game 4. The problems don’t stop on defense though. The Bucks were outrebounded by the Raptors for the first time in the series on Tuesday, leaving even less room for error than usual for Milwaukee. The one bright spot in Tuesday’s performance was the scoring of small forward Khris Middleton. The sharpshooting Middleton led all scorers with 30 points, shooting an efficient 11-15 on the night. If the Bucks can get this level of performance from Middleton at home on Thursday in Game 5, Milwaukee will be in a favorable position to take the lead back in this series.
The Bucks will look to stop their two game losing streak at home in Game 5 on Thursday. Milwaukee has won their last four home games, and have put up a 6-1 record at home in the playoffs. Despite this strong record at home in the postseason, the Bucks have lost four of the last six meetings with the Raptors in Milwaukee (2-4).
Milwaukee Bucks Expected Starting Lineup
Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Mirotic, Brook Lopez
Milwaukee Bucks NBA Form
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Toronto Raptors
It was an almost perfect home stand for the Toronto Raptors in Games 3 and 4. The second seeded team in the East evened out the series with an emphatic win on Tuesday night, with the Toronto bench showing up in a big way. Nick Powell (18 points), Serge Ibaka (17), and Fred Van Vleet (13) all scored double-digit points off of the bench, with the trio combining for 48 points total. The production was enough to overcome a shortage of points from star forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard went on to have just 19 points on the night, his lowest point total in the playoffs so far. It’s clear that the injury he picked up has started to affect his game, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Leonard’s explosiveness looks as if it is not all the way there since the nagging leg injury occurred early in this series, but it is clear that the forward has decided that he is going to play through the pain. Keep an eye on Leonard’s progression with his injury as this tight series continues.
After losing the first two game of this series, the Toronto Raptors have turned things around. Toronto took care of business in both of their home games, tying the series at two games apiece and swinging the momentum in their favor. The Raptors will have to use this momentum to propel themselves to a strong performance in Milwaukee on Thursday. Toronto has lost two games in Milwaukee already this season. The road struggles are not new to the Raptors, who have a 1-4 record in their last five away games in the playoffs.
Toronto Raptors Expected Starting Lineup
Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol
Toronto Raptors NBA Form
[table id=18 filter=”TOR” /]
The Money Line
Here are how the odds to win the match look from the bookies ahead of the game.
Toronto Raptors to win @ 3.64 (66/25) with William Hill.
Milwaukee Bucks to win @ 1.36 (7/20) with Unibet.
Odds taken at 08:00 GMT 22/05/2019
Key Points
- The Milwaukee Bucks have lost just one home game this postseason
- Kawhi Leonard’s 19 points in Game 4 was his lowest scoring output of the postseason so far
- The Raptors bench scored 48 points in Game 4, the highest scoring output from the Toronto bench in the postseason so far
Our Verdict and Best Bets
The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors break their 2-2 tie in a huge Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The home team has won every game so far in this series, and this trend has a good chance of continuing on Thursday. The Raptors had a rare scoring explosion from their bench in Game 4, which is an occurrence that will likely not repeat itself on the road in Milwaukee. This will spell problems for the Raptors, who will likely not have Kawhi Leonard at 100%. Expect the Bucks to put in a much more cohesive performance at home, giving them the 3-2 lead in this series with a win on Thursday.
