Key Takeaways
- The Raptors beat the Bucks 121–107 in Milwaukee for their first NBA Cup win, improving to 5–4
- Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points off the bench, hitting 6 of 7 three-pointers; RJ Barrett also scored 27
- Jamal Shead had a career-high 16 assists as Toronto outscored Milwaukee 70–47 in the second half
Raptors Stun Bucks 121–107 in Milwaukee for First NBA Cup Win
Down 15, Missing Three Starters, the Raptors Run Away From Milwaukee
The Toronto Raptors produced their best win of the young season on Friday night, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 121–107 at Fiserv Forum for their first Emirates NBA Cup win.
It did not start that way.
Milwaukee led 60–51 at halftime and by as many as 15 points, with Toronto missing Kawhi Leonard (knee), Scottie Barnes (groin) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring).
The second half flipped the game entirely: the Raptors outscored the Bucks 70–47, taking their first lead on an Alijah Martin three-pointer midway through the third quarter and the lead for good on Allen Graves' three-point play late in the third.
Career Nights From the Bench and the Backcourt
The night belonged to the bench and the backcourt.
Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting, hitting 6 of 7 three-pointers — as many threes in one night as he had made in his entire career before this game (6-of-27).
RJ Barrett matched him with 27 points, adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
Starting in Quickley's place, Jamal Shead ran the offence with a career-high 16 assists against a single turnover, and Jakob Poeltl and rookie Collin Murray-Boyles added 19 points each.
For Milwaukee, Tyler Herro had 23 points and 10 assists and rookie Brayden Burries posted a career-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bucks fell to 1–8 — their slowest start since 1993–94.
Toronto improves to 5–4 overall and 1–1 in East Group A Cup play.
The Twikup Take
Career nights from a bench guard and a backup point guard, on the road, against a team that had you down 15 — this is the kind of win that changes how a locker room sees itself.
The Raptors' depth was supposed to be a question mark. In Milwaukee, it was the whole answer.
Photo: "Raptors at Wizards 3/2/18" by Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA — Jakob Poeltl (39692527595).jpg, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.