NBA Playoffs: Bucks Vs. Raptors East Finals Game 5 Preview – Time Start, Channel, Stats, Odds

With their Game 3 double–overtime victory still fresh in their minds, the Toronto Raptors sought out to recapture that gratifying feeling all basketball players experience after the buzzer sounds, stamping another hard–fought victory into the books. Thanks to Kyle Lowry’s 25–point performance alongside Kawhi Leonard’s 19–point and 7–rebound contribution, the Raptors walked away victorious for the second time in a row, tying up the Eastern Conference Finals at 2–2 on Tuesday night.

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Toronto’s bench proved vital to the victory as well, as Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell combined for 48–points. Although Kris Middleton poured in 30–points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo supplied 25–points with 10–rebounds, Milwaukee now leaves Toronto (“the six”) without their series lead.

Tonight back in the Fiserv Forum, both teams will attempt to capture a pivotal series lead. Coming off a bounce–back game, look for Antetokounmpo to remind us why his name remains in the MVP discussion and to defend home court. After falling victim to a crowd–igniting slam dunk dealt out from Leonard, the “Greek Freak” most likely will attempt to return the favor tonight with his high–flying vertical and athletic skill set. Equipped with a normally effective bench, which has recently shown struggles when facing Toronto’s stellar defense, the Bucks will need to lean on its other impact players such as Brook Lopez, Middleton, and Nikola Mirotic. Matching up against this squad, Toronto aims to steal the series’ first road game, continuing to ride Lowry and Leonard’s excellence. Alongside this lethal Toronto duo stands Pascal Siakam, averaging 24.3–points per game and shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. Siakam plans add another chapter to his Most Improved Player of the Year campaign during tonight’s contest.

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With tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST in Milwaukee, each ball club — as well as fans — knows Game Five’s importance, as Game 5 winners move on to win their series 78% of the time. The game will be available on TNT, with the Bucks favorited at -7.

Article by Collin Helwig

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