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SPORTS Saturday 25 May 2019

Stakes are high as Bucks, Raptors meet in Game 6

By IAN HARRISON of the final year of his deal.
TORONTO (AP) — There's An NBA Finals berth, or
no escaping the reality of better, in Leonard's debut
what's at stake when the season north of the border
Toronto Raptors host the would certainly be a boon
Milwaukee Bucks in Game to Toronto team President
6 of the Eastern Confer- Masai Ujiri when free agen-
ence finals on Saturday cy opens on June 30.
night. MVP candidate Giannis
The surging Raptors have Antetokounmpo and the
won three straight, putting Bucks need a win to pro-
them on the brink of the first long their hopes of reach-
NBA Finals berth in team ing the finals for the first time
history. since 1974. Then a Western
The Bucks, who finished as Conference team, Milwau-
the NBA's top team in the kee lost to Boston in seven
regular season and once games. One season later,
led this series 2-0, have no star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
more room for error after left for the Lakers, and the
their first three-game losing Bucks haven't played for a
streak all season. ring since.
These two teams have Toronto won twice in its pre-
spent months trying to stay vious Eastern Conference
even-keeled, treating ev- finals appearance, taking
erything as just another Games 3 and 4 at home
game. That's starting to get against Cleveland in 2016.
a lot tougher. After that, LeBron James
"It's an elimination game," and the Cavs showed their
Bucks coach Mike Buden- class in Games 5 and 6,
holzer said Friday. "It's just a outscoring the Raptors by a Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) fouls Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leon-
fact." combined 64 points. ard (2) during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals
Raptors coach Nick Nurse Cleveland swept the Rap- in Milwaukee on Thursday, May 23, 2019.
added to that, suggesting tors out of the second Associated Press
the outcome of the series round in each of the past
could have franchise-alter- two seasons, but LeBron's Game 6: Antetokounmpo played Middleton shot 2 for 9 in
ing implications. departure from the East NO LIMITS 39 minutes in Game 5. He Game 5, the second time
"These are games that now and Leonard's arrival in Nurse won't be worrying played 45 minutes before this series he has taken few-
have significance as far as Canada have helped put about how much playing fouling out in Toronto's dou- er than 10 shots. MIddleton
one team's going one di- Toronto in its best position time his stars log on Satur- ble-overtime win in Game has had 11 or more at-
rection, and one going the ever. day night. 3, but hasn't topped 39 in tempts in Milwaukee's oth-
other, possibly," Nurse said. With his team heading "It's a whatever-it-takes any other game this post- er 12 postseason games.
No doubt. Milwaukee home in need of one more game," he said. "It's an un- season. His regular-season Budenholzer said he didn't
starters Khris Middleton, win to set up a finals show- limited-minutes night." high was 42, in an overtime mind the low shot total in
Brook Lopez and Malcolm down with Golden State, BREATHER BENEFITS? loss to the Knicks on Dec. 1. Game 5, pointing to Mid-
Brogdon are all headed for Nurse knows the Raptors Budenholzer, on the other TURNOVER TURNAROUND dleton's 10 assists.
free agency, although the still face a daunting task in hand, said he sees value in Toronto trailed 16-4 after "The ball is in his hands, he's
Bucks can match offers for Game 6. keeping Antetokounmpo's making its fourth turnover making great decisions,
Brogdon. Nikola Mirotic is "As hard-fought as all these minutes below 40. of the game with 7:55 left he's doing things that are
also a free agent this sum- have been, and believe "You need to be able to in the first quarter of Game really positive and really im-
mer. me, they have been, I ex- produce and perform, in- 5. The Raptors had just two pactful," Budenholzer said.
The Raptors, meanwhile, pect this one to be the cluding in the fourth quar- more turnovers the rest of Middleton had one 10-as-
have no bigger free agent hardest fought of them all," ter, so I don't feel any dif- the game, one each in the sist game in the regular
than two-way star Kawhi Nurse said. ferent about how much we second and third quarters. season, against Miami on
Leonard, who can opt out Here's what to know before use him," Budenholzer said. MORE MIDDLETON? March 22.q