 | TOR Raptors | 110 | Final Box Score | 96 | MIL Bucks |  |
 A+ | P. Siakam37 MIN, 27 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 9-18 FG, 2-4 3FG, 7-7 FT, 2 BLK, 1 TO, 10 +/- It’s finally starting to happen. Not only is Siakam is playing with the assertiveness of a top 2 option on a playoff team, but he’s contributing like one on a consistent basis. Pascal’s handprints were all over this one from the jump. He got his feet in the paint, his hands in passing lanes and most importantly his head in the game (I’ll show myself out). He characterized his performance one late in the 4th quarter when he squared up to Giannis, and went straight through his chest into a scoop layup, as if to say, “I’m on your level, Freak”. | |
 A | F. VanVleet40 MIN, 17 PTS, 5 REB, 8 AST, 1 STL, 5-15 FG, 3-8 3FG, 4-4 FT, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 11 +/- Despite his inefficiency from the field tonight, Fred did an excellent job of running the Raptors’ offense in the half court, and was responsible for dozens of opportunities created throughout the night. Whether it was taking the shot, making the right pass or changing the tempo of the game, the common denominator was that VanVleet’s decision making was sublime. | |
 A- | O. Anunoby26 MIN, 10 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 4-12 FG, 0-6 3FG, 2-2 FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 2 +/- OG didn’t have a particularly impactful night on the offensive side of the ball, but he came alive during the fourth quarter, executing on some key plays with the game in the balance. Surprise, surprise, he also played stifling perimeter D while he was on the court. His passing was also in fine form, as he had a couple crafty looks that you don’t usually expect out of him. He’s clearly still being eased back into the lineup, as he only saw the court for 26 minutes this evening. | |
 A | D. Bembry36 MIN, 5 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 2-3 FG, 1-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 12 +/- Bembry is every guy you ever hated in high school ball for playing annoyingly good defense, rolled into one. Tonight, he did an excellent job moving his feet, making Giannis’ evening an absolute nightmare. | |
 A+ | N. Powell30 MIN, 29 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 9-12 FG, 4-7 3FG, 7-8 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 12 +/- One thing that’s been consistent for Powell all season long, is his appetite to feast on opportunity. Tonight was no different, as Norm rolled over his team’s momentum from last games 4th quarter, exploding for 15 in the first frame alone. Nothing felt forced and everything looked easy, as he hit almost every shot he took, while also leading his team in FT attempts. Powell’s play is a loud protest to the notion that he should fade back into the bench rotation role he started the season in. | |
 B+ | C. Boucher22 MIN, 8 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 4-7 FG, 0-2 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 4 +/- Boucher moved really well out there tonight. He was super active – whether it was making great cuts or zipping towards the glass for an offensive board, you noticed him whenever he was on the court. | |
 B | M. Thomas16 MIN, 5 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 13 +/- Thomas relished the opportunity to be on the floor tonight, and gave Nick Nurse some real quality minutes in this one. He worked really hard to get himself open for a few looks, although only a couple of them dropped. Hard to keep him on the floor for extended stretches as he has a tough time succeeding on the defensive side of the ball. | |
 A- | A. Baynes14 MIN, 6 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 2-3 FG, 0-0 3FG, 2-2 FT, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 19 +/- When Baynes gets to do his real job – play as a back up center in NBA games, he can really raise some eyebrows. He gave the Raps a bit of everything tonight in limited minutes. There were some nifty passes, savvy cuts and respectable rim protection. In order to give this team the best version of himself, it’s probably best we get a kids scoop of Aaron Baynes, rather than the XL Blizzard that we had been served so often this season. | |
 Inc | Y. Watanabe5 MIN, 0 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, -3 +/- He was part of a unit that didn’t give up a lead to start the 4th, but didn’t get enough run to land a grade for his efforts tonight. | |
 A+ | Nick Nurse Winning a B2B against any team is a tall order, against a top 5 team in the league like the Bucks, it’s billed as nearly impossible. Nurse leaned into what was working so well for his small ball lineup that ran up the score in the last game against the Bucks, and Bud had no answer for it. The Bucks attempted to make several runs at getting back in this, and every time NN had a counter to shut the door on them. | |
Things We Saw
- The Raptors did an excellent job of carrying over the momentum from their last victory against the Bucks, starting this game with a bang. You’d think that it would’ve been Milwaukee who’d come out tonight with a chip on their shoulder, but this was all Toronto from the get-go.
- Lost in the shuffle behind their stellar shotmaking tonight, might be the incredible team defense played by Toronto all night long. They once again took Middleton out of the equation, as he posted a quiet 13 points and made Giannis a jump shooter on numerous occasions.
- Winning 2 in a row against one of the NBA’s best teams is nothing to scoff at, but the real test for this team will come tomorrow night when it’s time for them to prove this wasn’t a fluke. Consistency is the most important thing to get right if this team wants to be taken seriously in May.
