Giannis soaring in transition has Raptors searching for answers
TORONTO - This was the Toronto Raptors’ nightmare in Game 1 of the playoffs on Saturday: Giannis Antetokounmpo coming at them with those giant strides on the break.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey said his team simply has to do a better job of slowing down the Greek Freak in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Antetokounmpo scored nine baskets in the paint in the Bucks’ 97-83 victory over the Raptors as sixth-seeded Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series.
“We were taking negative steps going toward the basket instead of getting back,” Casey said after the Raptors’ practice session Sunday at the BioSteel Centre. “You know what freight train is coming down the road, so you’ve got to turn and sprint back.
“Make sure you have every man available. Our philosophy here from Day 1 is never to go to the offensive boards. There’s no reason for our wings to be going into the paint.
“You might think you’re going to get that ball, but you’re going to give up something on the other end.”
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 28 points and was 9 of 12 on shots in the paint, 4 for 4 from mid-range and 0 of 2 on three-pointers. His dunks and layups helped the Bucks set the pace for a huge road victory.
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Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said Antetokounmpo is one of the top three or four players in the league in transition, comparing him with Russell Westbrook and LeBron James.
P.J. Tucker, one of the primary Toronto defenders against Antetokounmpo, said the 6-foot-11 Bucks forward is unique in the way he attacks the basket.
“He can exploit angles probably better than any player in the league right now,” Tucker said. “He’s almost like a Russell Westbrook that can blow up and really get into the paint fast.
“He’s one step from being able to dunk the ball almost anywhere on the court. You’ve got to cut angles and play him straight up.
“And they’re good; (Matthew) Dellavedova is one of the best screeners in the NBA and he screens for the angle. That’s all he (Antetokounmpo) needs is one angle, and there are not a lot of people that can get to the rim as fast and as easy as he can.”
The Bucks had 17 fast-break points to 4 for Toronto in Game 1, and Milwaukee scored 28 points in transition and 40 points in the paint.
It’s the way the Bucks have thrived all season.
“We have to do a better job in transition and taking away those easy-sweat points they were getting,” Casey said. “Or allowing Antetokounmpo to go 1-on-1 with whoever is back.
“Those are the type of plays where a guy like that gets his confidence, and he did a great job of attacking.”
Tucker, DeMarreCarroll and Patrick Patterson are the three players the Raptors have designated to be Giannis-stoppers. Casey said DeMar DeRozan will guard Khris Middleton at the start of games, but Toronto will also look to have Tucker and Carroll match up against Antetokounmpo and Middleton when both are on the floor together.
“They did a good job,” Casey said. “They outworked us; they out-physicaled us, they out-screened us. That’s what we showed the guys on film this morning. To win in this league, we’ve got to play at another level.
“They cut us; they ran us. They were flexing their muscles. Everything they wanted to do; they got it done.”
Casey admitted Antetokounmpo is a major challenge to handle, even if the Raptors do get back in scramble mode with more urgency.
“He’s right there at the top because he’s so long and he comes with such force,” Casey said. “You’ve got to get back and have bodies in front of him.
“He did a good job of attacking the rim, of getting to where he wanted to go with the fewest steps possible.
“But we made it easy for him. He made some great plays with one stride to the rim. But still, he saw a four-lane highway down there a few times.”
Lowry frustrated: Lowry made just 2 of 11 field-goal attempts in Game 1 and was 0 of 7 on contested jumpers.
He expressed his frustration with the situation on Sunday and said maybe he has to change his approach after finishing with four points and six assists in 34 minutes.
"They game-planned pretty well for us,” Lowry said. “That’s one thing about the playoffs; teams are going to game-plan for me and DeMar (DeRozan).
“The way they play is to attack the ball and you’re going to get some weak-side looks. In the second quarter we got four straight corner threes, wide open. That’s just how they play.
“Our pace wasn’t good.”
Lowry and DeRozan combined to go 9 of 32 from the field and the Raptors as a team shot just 36%, hitting 27 of 75 attempts. Toronto was 5 for 23 on three-point attempts (21.7%).
“Every time I was in a screen-and-roll, I had four arms around me,” Lowry said. “I guess I’m going to have to force shots. My teammates want me to be more aggressive so I’m going to have to force some more shots. Simple as that.”
Casey said Lowry does not have to change his game.
“There were a few times he could have turned the corner, got to the paint and caused another problem,” Casey said.
“Overall, it just wasn’t Kyle. It was all of us. We didn’t play at a level to deserve to win that game.”
Screen debate: Casey said the Bucks were setting hard screens and he questioned the way they did it.
"We had numerous situations where they were cracking us with screens, whether illegal or not," Casey said. "If they're going to let us play that way, we've got to set screens that way.
"We can't complain about it; we've just got to play through it. And turnaround is fair play."
Bucks coach Jason Kidd was asked about Casey's comments later Sunday after the Bucks practiced in St. Francis.
"It's part of the game," Kidd said. "It's physical. It's the playoffs. Everybody is going to set screens. Everybody is fighting for that inch.
"That's his opinion and that's fair to say. I respect Case, and everybody is fighting for that edge."
Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said it was part of the game plan to set hard screens.
"Physicality was really the emphasis going into the game," Brogdon said. "Playing in that arena is tough. They're always the more physical, faster-paced team at home.
"We knew we had to match that. All season we've been talking about screening hard and making people feel screens. I thought we did a good job of that (Saturday)."
BUCKS-RAPTORS SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Eastern Conference first-round series (best of seven)
Saturday - Bucks 97, Raptors 83 (Milwaukee leads series, 1-0)
Tuesday - Game 2 at Toronto, 6 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW)
Thursday, April 20 - Game 3 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW)
Saturday, April 22 - Game 4 at Milwaukee, 2 p.m. (TNT, FSW)
Monday, April 24 - Game 5 at Toronto, 6 p.m. (NBA TV, FSW), if necessary
Thursday, April 27 - Game 6 at Milwaukee, TBD (FSW), if necessary
Saturday, April 29 - Game 7 at Toronto, TBD (TNT, FSW), if necessary