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A22 sports
Friday 17 May 2019
Bucks finish with a flourish, rally to top Raptors 108-100

By TIM REYNOLDS “Fourth quarter killed us, learn but we can’t think too
AP Basketball Writer 32-17,” Lowry said. “They much about it. You come
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Down outplayed us in that fourth out Game 2 and try to win.
for most of the game, quarter. They got a little You can’t replay this one.”
clearly rusty at times after bit more aggressive. They With the chants of Milwau-
nearly a full week off, the made some big shots, kee’s motto — “Fear the
Milwaukee Bucks looked made some big plays. deer! Fear the deer!” —
very much like a team in It sucks when you lose bouncing throughout the
trouble. like that. But we had our building, the Bucks predict-
Until the fourth quarter. chance and we’ve got to ably came out flying.
The team with the NBA’s learn from it.” The flurry was brief.
best record this season Lopez added 11 rebounds The Bucks missed seven
found its stride at the per- for the Bucks, who had consecutive shots, the Rap-
fect time. three players post double- tors made four 3-pointers
Brook Lopez scored 13 of doubles. Antetokounmpo in a span of three minutes,
his career playoff-high 29 had 14 rebounds and Khris and that all helped be-
points in the fourth quarter, Middleton finished with 11 come a 16-0 run by Toron-
Giannis Antetokounmpo points and 10 rebounds for to that turned an early 8-3
added 24 points and the Milwaukee, which is now deficit into a 19-8 edge. The
Bucks closed the game on a 9-1 in this postseason. lead got as big as 13 later in
10-0 run to beat the Toronto The Bucks trailed for 37 of the quarter on a fadeaway
Raptors 108-100 in Game 1 the game’s 48 minutes. jumper by Leonard, and
of the Eastern Conference Didn’t matter. They stayed the Raptors held the lead
finals on Wednesday night. just close enough until they the rest of the half.
Milwaukee forced Toronto could finish with a serious Milwaukee had a chance
to miss its final eight shots kick. to take its first lead since
and outscored the Raptors “The way guys compet- the opening minutes when
32-17 in the fourth. ed and just got after it ... Antetokounmpo went to
“I think it speaks a little bit stands out to me,” Buden- the line for a pair of free
to the character of the holzer said. throws with 8:17 left in the
group,” Bucks coach Mike Toronto Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard tries to shoot in front of Pascal Siakam scored 15 third and the Bucks down
Budenholzer said. “They just Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second for Toronto, including a by one. He missed both
stick with it. I think it’s be- half of Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball 3-pointer over Antetok- and the Raptors peeled off
come a little bit of a theme playoff finals Wednesday, May 15, 2019, in Milwaukee. ounmpo to end the third the next nine points to re-
in the playoffs: I think even- Associated Press quarter and give the Rap- build a 10-point lead again.
tually, hopefully, we feel game — did just enough sticking with what we’ve tors a seven-point lead with But Toronto shot 5 for 22
like if we stick with what in the final minutes to grab been doing all postseason 12 minutes left. in the fourth, the Bucks fi-
we’re doing good things the series lead. long,” Lopez said. It unraveled quickly from nally reclaimed the lead,
will happen for us.” “I think this game definitely Kawhi Leonard scored 31 there. And now the Rap- and the Raptors’ chance
Lopez had a dunk with 2:20 made us better,” Antetok- points and Kyle Lowry add- tors, who came in on the to steal home-court went
left to put the Bucks ahead ounmpo said. ed 30 for the Raptors, who high of winning a second- awry.
for good, added a 3-point- Malcolm Brogdon scored led by as many as 13 early round Game 7 on a buzzer- “We gave ourselves a
er on the next Milwaukee 15 and Nikola Mirotic had and took an 83-76 lead into beater by Leonard, have chance to win on the road
possession to push the lead 13 for Milwaukee, which the final quarter. Lowry was two days to regroup. in an Eastern Conference
to four and the Bucks — closed the game on a 10-0 5 for 7 in the fourth — and “The game is over,” Toron- final,” Raptors coach Nick
after trailing for the over- run. his teammates were 0 for to’s Marc Gasol said. “We Nurse said. “And it didn’t
whelming majority of the “We just did a great job of 15. got to look back at it and turn out.”q

WNBA star Liz Cambage traded from Dallas to Las Vegas

By DOUG FEINBERG about her physical ability, to get to Las Vegas this
AP Basketball Writer but what we respect most weekend. The 27-year-old
The Liz Cambage trade about her is her basket- center set a league record
saga is finally over. ball IQ. That is what we are last season by scoring 53
The 6-foot-8 Australian was about. We had to give up points against New York.
traded from Dallas to Las some quality players and She averaged 23 points
Vegas on Thursday for Mo- people to make this trade and 9.7 rebounds last year.
riah Jefferson, Isabelle Har- happen.” The move gives the Aces
rison and the Aces’ first two Cambage, who finished a formidable frontcourt
picks in 2020. second behind Breanna by pairing Cambage with
“The journey it took to get Stewart in WNBA MVP bal- rookie of the year A’ja Wil-
here will make a great story loting last year, said in Jan- son.
one day,” said Bill Laim- uary she no longer wanted Dallas receives a point
beer, president and coach to play in Dallas. Potential guard in Jefferson and a
of the Aces. “Everyone in deals the past few weeks talented post player in Har-
the Aces family is excited never materialized. All of rison. Jefferson was the No.
to welcome Liz to Las Ve- which weighed on Cam- 2 pick in the 2016 draft by
gas. In this May 8, 2018, file photo, Dallas Wings’ Liz Cambage, bage, who took to social the franchise when it was in
“She brings an attitude and left, drives against Connecticut Sun’s Brionna Jones during a media with emotional posts San Antonio. She averaged
physical presence that we preseason WNBA basketball game in Uncasville, Conn. this week. Cambage is in 13.9 points as a rookie but
need. There is no doubt Associated Press Australia and is expected injured her knee in 2017. q