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Toronto Raptors use balance to even series with Milwaukee Bucks

May 22, 2019 at 4:48AM
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives for the basket as Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton (24) defends during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Tuesday, May 21, 2019 in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry finished with a team high 25 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

TORONTO – Kyle Lowry scored 25 points, Kawhi Leonard had 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 120-102 on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who improved to 7-2 at home this postseason. Reserve Norm Powell scored 18 points, and Marc Gasol had 17 points and a team-high seven assists.

The home team has won all four games in the series so far. Game 5 is Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the top-seeded Bucks. Khris Middleton scored 30 points.

Milwaukee lost its second straight following a six-game winning streak. It dropped consecutive games just once during the regular season, at Utah on March 2 and at Phoenix on March 4.

Toronto's Fred VanVleet, who missed 16 of 20 shot attempts through the first three games of the series, went 5-for-6 from the field in Game 4. He made each of his three three-point tries and finished with 13 points.

Ahead 94-81 to start the fourth, the Raptors extended their lead with a 10-3 spurt, including seven points from VanVleet.

Antetokounmpo shot 5-for-8 in the opening frame, matching the number of made baskets he had during Milwaukee's double-overtime loss in Game 3. However, the Bucks star went 4-for-9 the rest of the way.

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Leonard missed three of his four attempts in the first quarter but Lowry scored 12 points for the Raptors.

After scoring the final four points of the first quarter, the Raptors widened their lead with a 9-0 run to begin the second. Ibaka's dunk with 9:56 to go gave Toronto a 41-31 lead.

Leonard and Pascal Siakam, who both played more than 50 minutes in Game 3, looked sluggish in the opening half. Leonard missed the only shot he took in the second, while Siakam played fewer than three minutes in the second after picking up his third foul.

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Ian Harrison Associated Press

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