Game Day: Toronto Raptors host Milwaukee Bucks

Few people expecting much of anything from the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the start of the season.  Even now, despite a record of 25-22 at the start of February, many are dismissing the Bucks.  Yet Milwaukee enters tonight’s game winners of their last three games, including a big win over the Portland Trail Blazers on in their last outing.

Milwaukee is also the last team to have beaten the Eastern Conference leading Atlanta Hawks, a 107-77 thrashing all the way back on December 26.  To the surprise of almost everyone, the Bucks are a real basketball team that can’t be overlooked.

With that being said, the Toronto Raptors have had Milwaukee’s number to date on the season, as they sport a 2-0 record against the Bucks after escaping with a 92-89 victory on January 19 in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee did provide Toronto with one of the most enjoyable moments in franchise history.  Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but November 21, 2014 is a day that few Raptors fans with forget.  Not only did the Raptors beat Milwaukee by a staggering 42 points, but this happened:

If that night wasn’t one of the most enjoyable nights you’ve had as a Raptors fan, I either don’t believe you or know for a fact you weren’t watching.  A meaningless game in the middle of November became a night that now feels like a historic moment.

Fans chanting his name, a fever rush coming over the crowd, the anticipation every time a shot left his cartoonishly long arms….it was a beautiful night.

I love Bruno Caboclo.  I love the mystery that surrounds him.  I love his quiet demeanor.  I love the nervousness that he appears to have had the few times he has gotten to step out on the court.  I love Bruno Caboclo.  And even if he never amounts to anything, I will always cherish the Milwaukee Bucks for that one night in November.

Bruno tasted venison…and it was good.

Is that likely to happen again?  Of course not! Especially when one considers the Raptors current ability at maintaining any sort of a lead late in the game.  A 21 point lead against the Wizards ended with a narrow overtime win.  A 17 point second half lead disappeared the night before against the Brooklyn Nets, as the Raptors escaped in overtime.

The Raptors are giving glimpses of their true potential, only to come crashing back down to earth.  It looked as if both Brooklyn and Washington had already submitted to a Toronto win, and the Raptors let both teams up off the mat.

Thankfully for Toronto, so far in 2015 the Bucks have been a much better team in the first half than in the second half.  Since the start of January, Milwaukee has superior first half stats in almost every category:

The first quarter will be pivotal for the Raptors if they are to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Brandon Knight has been Milwaukee’s leader so far this season.  In the month of January he scored a team leading 17.1PPG on 41.7 percent shooting from the field, attempted 4.3 shots per game from long distance,  is getting to the line 3.1 times per game (86.4 percent from the charity stripe), and is leading the team in assists at 5.6 per game.

When Knight goes, so do the Bucks, which is worrisome to say the least considering Toronto’s recent defense at the point of attack.  Opposing point guards have been eating the Raptors alive with dribble penetration.  John Wall, Jarrett Jack, Rodney Stuckey, and DJ Augustine have all had their way with Toronto in a little over a week.  Outside of John Wall, there is no excuse for what these players did to the Raptors.

As excited as I am that Kyle Lowry was voted as a starter for the All Star game, it appears like he could use a week off to rest.  Hopefully I am wrong, but Toronto needs to end the trend of opposing point guards circling games against Toronto on the calendar, and they need to start it tonight against Brandon Knight.

Here’s hoping for a seven game winning streak, and another chance to see Bruno in full flight.