Raptors hold on to beat Bucks 97-93
Global News
Fred VanVleet scored 29 points to lead the short-handed Raptors to a 97-93 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday, snapping the Bucks' eight game winning streak.
TORONTO – Fred VanVleet scored 29 points to lead the short-handed Raptors to a 97-93 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday, snapping the Bucks’ eight game winning streak.
The Raptors (10-13) ended a four-game losing skid with just their second win in their last six games, and third at home this season.
Pascal Siakam had 20 points and eight rebounds, while rookie Scottie Barnes had 13. Back after missing two games with a deep calf bruise, Gary Trent Jr. had eight points and eight rebounds.
Jrue Holiday scored 26 points to lead a Bucks team (14-9) that was missing star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Raptors were coming off an ugly 98-91 loss to Memphis, dropping five straight at home for the first time since January of 2011. Siakam said after the loss to the Grizzlies that “the fans deserve better.”
They were solid out of the gate Thursday, holding the Bucks to a three-point lead then assembling an 11-point lead of their own. They led 73-68 to start the fourth.
The Bucks pulled to within two early in the final frame, but VanVleet almost single-handedly led the Raptors on a 7-0 run to put them up by nine.
A layup by Sandro Mamukelashvili had the Bucks within two with 4:34 to play, but the Raptors buckled down on the defensive end and when VanVleet muscled through a pair of Milwaukee defenders to the basket and scored, the Raptors were back up by six with 3:06 to play. VanVleet raised his hands in the air, encouraging the fans at Scotiabank Arena to cheer. They obliged.
