For a while, Saturday's rematch of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals looked like it was going to be a blowout.
In their first meeting with the Toronto Raptors since losing the conference final last spring, the Milwaukee Bucks spent much of the game holding a commanding lead. The Bucks jumped out to a 12-0 advantage to start Saturday's game and eventually built up a 23-point cushion midway through the second quarter, seemingly scoring at will while the Raptors struggled with their shooting.
One Toronto player who didn't grapple with a cold shooting hand was Kyle Lowry, whose tenacity and efficiency kept the Raptors in the game long enough to mount a furious late comeback. Lowry went shot-for-shot with Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo — both players finished with a game-high 36 points.
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Unfortunately for the Raptors, the longtime point guard's offensive outburst wasn't enough.
DON'T POKE THE BEAR pic.twitter.com/i2aMtWdgsZ
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 3, 2019
Lowry led his team with 61.1 percent shooting, five three-pointers and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line in 38 minutes played. For a stretch of the second half it appeared as though the 33-year-old's heroics would catalyze an improbable come-from-behind victory.
Toronto entered the third quarter with a 16-point deficit and ended it down by just five. The Raptors eventually got within four points inside the final two minutes of regulation as the Bucks appeared to have no answer for the Raptors' late momentum.
Milwaukee eventually pulled away following the fouling out of Pascal Siakam — the second time the recently re-signed forward has tallied six fouls this season — and Toronto fell to 4-2 on the season with the 115-105 loss.
But Saturday's contest showed that Lowry, who added six assists and four rebounds to his flood of offence, can still be hugely influential against the NBA's elite teams.
The Raptors are back in action Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings.