Raptors 118, Bucks 112 (2 OT): Extra effort not quite enough in tense Game 3 battle

TORONTO - That is what you call an instant classic, though it may not be remembered like that in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Bucks didn't play their best. They swam upstream all night, yet somehow still forced the Toronto Raptors to overtime. They cheated death a second time, locking down in the final minute of the extra frame to force a second overtime.

Then, they lost star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who fouled out just 36 seconds into the second extra period. They responded by taking the lead, something they hadn't done since the opening moments of the game when they led, 2-0.

But that advantage was short-lived. Marc Gasol nailed a three-pointer. Kawhi Leonard picked off an Eric Bledsoe pass and the Bucks never led again, falling, 118-112, Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena. The loss tightened up the Eastern Conference best-of-seven series, which the Bucks lead, 2-1.

"I feel like we gave ourselves several chances," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We weren't able to get over the hump. Give them credit. As a group, they played well. A couple guys really stepped up for them. I think there's lots of opportunity for us to look at how we can get better collectively, how we can be better going into Game 4. I think we look forward to that."

Leonard led the Raptors with 36 points in 52 minutes, including scoring eight points in the second overtime. Two of those came on dunks, with each sucking life out of the Bucks and enlivening the loud, sellout crowd of 19,923 at Scotiabank Arena.

Antetokounmpo opened the game with a layup, marking the only time the Bucks would lead until the second overtime. They struggled with turnovers and failed to get going on the interior, watching as the Raptors, with their backs against the wall, burst out to an early double-digit lead. Toronto had adjusted defensively, putting Leonard on Antetokounmpo and sending help his way often in the form of double-teams.

"Pretty much everybody just has to be ready to step up," Leonard said. "One man can't guard him; it takes a whole team and that's what we did."

The score yo-yoed back and forth throughout the game, with the Bucks never being able to gain control. Toronto made the first and largest run of the game to lead by as many as 11, Milwaukee would string together enough defensive stops to get its offense going then the Raptors would strike back, answering every time the game got close.

The Bucks finally tied the score with just over four minutes left in the game thanks to a 6-0 run that came after Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry fouled out with just over six minutes to go.

But Toronto, led by Leonard, kept pushing. Fred VanVleet snapped out of an oh-for night with a clutch three-pointer then Leonard scored four of the Raptors' next five points to push the margin back to five at 96-91 with just over a minute left.

It looked like the Raptors were on the verge of sewing up the game in regulation, but Raptors forward Pascal Siakam missed a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds left, keeping the Bucks within two.

BOX SCORE: Raptors 118, Bucks 112

NICKEL: The Bucks may be from Milwaukee, but they belong to the world

That's when Khris Middleton, who finished with just nine points on 3 of 16 shooting and had just missed a tough, well-defended three-pointer in transition, got the ball off a sideline out of bounds play. He drove, got blocked by VanVleet, then collected the ball and popped it in with 2.2 seconds left to tie the game.

After a badly missed three by Siakam, the game moved to overtime, where the Raptors would be without Lowry and bench upstart Norm Powell, who fouled out after scoring 19 points in 30 minutes.

The Raptors again went into the final minute with a lead thanks to a turnover by Antetokounmpo – his eighth of the night – that led to a Leonard bucket. Malcolm Brogdon then got the Bucks back within two, Milwaukee got a stop and Brogdon ran the floor, passing to George Hill who drew a foul with 14.5 seconds left.

Hill calmly made both free throws, part a team-high 24-point night for him. Leonard then got a chance at the win, but was well-defended by Brogdon, who got some help from Antetokounmpo. With Leonard going to his left, Antetokounmpo sold out from his spot on the opposite block to challenge Leonard's jumper that fell short.

After playing with five fouls through overtime, Antetokounmpo succumbed to foul trouble early in the second extra period. Siakam drove and Antetokounmpo slid over to try to take a charge, but was too late.

"I saw Siakam driving the ball right," Antetokounmpo said. "I thought I was in front of him. He called a blocking foul. Maybe my feet – I didn’t see the replay – maybe my feet were in … the circle in the paint. But if my feet wasn’t in there, then I think it was an offensive foul because I was thee like a second earlier than him. But I cannot focus on that. That did not cost us the game.

“There are so many things that we can get better. We will get better and we’re going to come out in Game 4 and be us. Be the team that we’ve been all year.”

Antetokounmpo finished the night with just 12 points on 5 of 16 shooting – he willed the Bucks back with drives in the latter stages of the fourth – along with 23 rebounds and seven assists in addition to his eight turnovers.

The rest of the second overtime belonged to Leonard. He stole a Bledsoe pass for a dunk that put the Raptors up three. The teams alternated scores and then Leonard did it again, this time picking off a Middleton pass intended for Brogdon for yet another dunk.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win," said Bledsoe, who had 11 points on 3 of 16 shooting and five turnovers. "We took the lead … made a couple bad turnovers and that’s the ball game. In crunch-time situations you’ve got to take care of the ball and get a quality look.”

Milwaukee had a chance to tie the game in the final minute, with Brook Lopez driving along the right side for what looked to be a good look inside. Then, out of nowhere, Siakam came flying in, swatting Lopez's shot and landing on the Bucks center.

Leonard then wore down Brogdon, who defended him often late due to Middleton carrying five fouls, and popped in a layup with 32.4 seconds left.

That's when the Bucks committed the cardinal sin of failing to get a shot off. Hawked by defenders with no one looking to shoot, the Bucks lost control and the ball went back over the halfcourt line. It was Milwaukee's 20th turnover of the night, leading to a pair of Siakam free throws that -- this time -- put the game away.