Halfway: Bucks top Raptors 125-103 for 2-0 East finals lead

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 17 rebounds, Ersan Ilyasova came off the bench to add 17 points and the Milwaukee Bucks never trailed on the way to beating the Toronto Raptors 125-103 on Friday night and taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Antetokounmpo scored 11 points in the fourth for the Bucks, who wound up with six players in double figures — three of them reserves. Nikola Mirotic scored 15, Malcolm Brogdon had 14, George Hill 13 and Khris Middleton 12.

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points for Toronto, which gave up the game's first nine points, never led and trailed by double digits for the final 39 minutes. Kyle Lowry scored 15 and Norman Powell had 14 for the Raptors.

Milwaukee Bucks centrerBrook Lopez battles Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) and center Serge Ibaka (9) for the ball and picks up a foul on the play during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Friday, May 17, 2019, in Milwaukee. (Frank GunnThe Canadian Press via AP)

Game 3 is Sunday in Toronto.

Milwaukee, which led the NBA with a 60-22 record during the regular season, became the 16th team to start a playoff run with at least 10 victories in its first 11 games. Only three teams — the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2001 Lakers and the 2017 Golden State Warriors — started a postseason 11-0.

The Bucks led by as many as 28, before Toronto did just enough chipping away to keep some semblance of hope.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) fouls Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Friday, May 17, 2019, in Milwaukee. (Frank GunnThe Canadian Press via AP)

Eventually, Antetokounmpo decided enough was enough.

With 5:51 left to play Antetokounmpo backed Leonard down on the block, spun back toward the center of the lane, scored while getting hit and starting a three-point play.

He yelled to the crowd and punched the air.

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo tries to drive past Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference basketball playoff finals Friday, May 17, 2019, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)

The knockout blow was landed, and soon, the Bucks moved two wins away from their first NBA Finals berth in 45 years.

Milwaukee had a big rebounding edge for the second straight game — 60-46 in Game 1, 53-40 in Game 2 — and finished with only seven turnovers.

"When the game started, we did a great job setting the tone," Antetokounmpo said.

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse reacts as his team plays the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Friday, May 17, 2019, in Milwaukee. (Frank GunnThe Canadian Press via AP)

The tone never changed, either.

Toronto was down 21 when Lowry got his third foul with 1:27 left until the break. The Raptors left Lowry in; he wound up getting his fourth foul while battling Mirotic for a rebound 24 seconds later and let the referees have an earful as he headed to the bench. Another roll of the dice didn't pay off, either: Raptors forward Pascal Siakam got his fourth shortly after halftime, then got his fifth with 9:26 left in the third.

They weren't happy.

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots over Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) and guard George Hill (3) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Friday, May 17, 2019, in Milwaukee. (Frank GunnThe Canadian Press via AP)

They shouldn't have been, but this wasn't about calls.

It was just a rout.

Milwaukee's lead was 35-21 after the first, 64-39 at the half. It was the first time Toronto had been outscored by 10 or more points in each of a game's first two quarters since May 25, 2016, against Cleveland and the 25-point halftime hole was, by far, the Raptors' worst of the season. They trailed Houston 55-37 on March 5.

Antetokounmpo started the second half with a three-point play, pushing the lead to 28.

That's when Toronto found a bit of a groove.

The Raptors outscored Milwaukee 31-16 over the next nine minutes, getting within 83-70 on a 3-pointer by Fred VanVleet. But a quick flurry by the Bucks restored order — Brogdon rebounded his own miss and scored, then set up George Hill for a score in transition, and Hill scored again off a Raptors turnover a few seconds later.

Just like that, the lead was back up to 19, and it was 95-78 going into the fourth.

TIP-INS

Raptors: The 14-point deficit after one quarter was Toronto's second-largest of the season, with a 38-19 opening quarter at San Antonio —in Leonard's return there— on Jan. 3 the only one that saw them down more after 12 minutes. ... Lowry became the second player in these playoffs with four fouls by halftime. Detroit's Bruce Brown did it April 22, also against the Bucks. ... The Raptors are 0-63 all-time when trailing by 20 or more at the half.

Bucks: It was Milwaukee's 70th win of the season, tying the 1973-74 Bucks for the second-most in franchise history. The 1970-71 Bucks won 78. ... Robin Lopez, Brook's brother, was in the sellout crowd. ... Ilyasova's 15 first-half points matched a season high, and were part of a 31-11 bench scoring edge by the Bucks in the half. ... Milwaukee has won its last six playoff games, tying the franchise record for longest such streak. ... The Bucks are now 50-13 vs. the East this season.

HISTORY LESSON

The Bucks have never lost a series when leading 2-0; they've been in this spot 13 previous times. Toronto has never overcome a 2-0 series deficit in seven previous attempts.

AWARD FINALISTS

This series has plenty of representation on the list of finalists for the NBA's top individual awards, revealed Friday. Antetokounmpo is a finalist for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year; the Bucks' Mike Budenholzer is a finalist for Coach of the Year and Siakam is a Most Improved Player finalist. Antetokounmpo is assured of being the Bucks' highest finisher in the MVP race since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award in 1974.

UP NEXT

Game 3 is Sunday in Toronto.

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)