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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 23 May 2019
Lowry has 25, Raptors rout Bucks 120-102 to even East finals

By IAN HARRISON tended their lead with a
Associated Press 10-3 spurt, including seven
TORONTO (AP) — With points from VanVleet. Pow-
a weary Kawhi Leonard ell's fast-break layup with
fighting through fatigue, 8:35 left put Toronto up 104-
the Toronto Raptors found 84.
enough energy to pull "We've got to guard bet-
away from the Milwaukee ter," Middleton said. "Every-
Bucks. body on their team, I feel
Kyle Lowry led the way. like they got pretty much
Lowry scored 25 points, whatever they wanted. Ev-
Leonard had 19 and the erything was easy."
Raptors beat the Milwau- Antetokounmpo shot 5 for
kee Bucks 120-102 on Tues- 8 in the opening frame,
day night to even the East- matching the number of
ern Conference finals at made baskets he had dur-
two games apiece. ing Game 3. However, the
"This was one of the nights Bucks star went 4 for 9 the
that we knew Kawhi was rest of the way.
a little bit limited and we Leonard and Pascal
had to come out and be Siakam, who both played
aggressive for him," Lowry more than 50 minutes Sun-
said. day, looked sluggish in
Leonard played 52 minutes the opening half. Leonard
in a double-overtime win in missed the only shot he
Game 3 on Sunday despite took in the second, while
dealing with leg soreness. Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives for the basket as Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Con- Siakam played fewer than
He limped away from the naughton (24) defends during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern three minutes in the second
basket following a third- Conference finals, Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in Toronto. after picking up his third
quarter dunk in Game 4, Associated Press foul. Siakam had two points
but still toughed it out for 34 at halftime.
minutes. 7-2 at home this postsea- loud place to play. Let's night defensively where Leonard came up limp-
"I feel good," Leonard insist- son. Reserve Norm Powell see if those guys can bring I don't feel like we were ing after dunking against
ed. "I'm going to keep go- scored 18 points, and Marc that same pop and focus close to where you need to Antetokounmpo early in
ing and keep fighting. We Gasol had 17 points and a and determination on the be," coach Mike Budenhol- the third, but remained in
have a chance to make team-high seven assists. road." zer said. "We got punched. the game. Moments later,
history." "The first two games, they Giannis Antetokounmpo They played really well." Siakam completed a three-
Raptors coach Nick Nurse really brought the intensity had 25 points and 10 re- Toronto's Fred VanVleet, point play that put Toronto
said he's not worried about to us," Powell said. "They bounds for the top-seed- who missed 16 of 20 shot up 73-60 with 8:43 left.
Leonard's health. really came out and were ed Bucks. Khris Middleton attempts through the first "We just came out in the
"He's certainly tired, like more physical, more active. scored 30 points, but no three games of the series, third quarter flat," Antetok-
a lot of guys in this series We wanted to change that one else had more than 11. went 5 for 6 from the field ounmpo said.
are," Nurse said. "He looks narrative coming home." Milwaukee lost its sec- in Game 4. He made each Ilyasova missed a 3 with
OK to me. There was one The home team has won ond straight following a of his three 3-point tries and 3:50 remaining in the third
time I was trying to give him all four games in the series six-game winning streak. finished with 13 points. that could have cut the
an extended rest and he so far. Game 5 is Thursday It dropped consecutive "He needed one of those deficit to four points. Pow-
didn't really want it so he night in Milwaukee. games just once during the games," Lowry said. "He ell replied with a 3 and,
must be OK." "We need to take this chal- regular season, at Utah on played well and made following miss by Malcolm
Serge Ibaka had 17 points lenge of playing in a hostile March 2 and at Phoenix on some great plays tonight." Brogdon, Leonard drained
and 13 rebounds for the environment," Nurse said. March 4. Ahead 94-81 to start the a jumper to push Toronto's
Raptors, who improved to "We're going into a tough, "This is probably the first fourth, the Raptors ex- lead to 86-74.q
Gobert, George, Antetokounmpo

headline NBA All-Defensive teams

NEW YORK (AP) — Defensive Player of the All-Defensive team selections.
Year Rudy Gobert and MVP finalists Gi- The second team included Golden State's
annis Antetokounmpo and Paul George Draymond Green and Klay Thompson,
were the leading vote-getters for the All- who earned his first selection.
Defensive first team. They were joined by Toronto's Kawhi Leon-
Boston's Marcus Smart and Milwaukee's ard, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and New
Eric Bledsoe rounded out the first team Orleans guard Jrue Holiday.
that was announced Wednesday. The teams were selected by a panel of
Gobert finished with 97 first-team points 100 writers and broadcasters.q
and 196 points, giving the Utah center his
third straight first-team selection. George
Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol (33) moves the ball pass Mil- had 96 first-team votes and 195 points, fol-
waukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the lowed by Antetokounmpo (94, 193).
second half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Smart and Bledsoe both earned their first
Conference finals, Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in Toronto.