Title: Raptors Takeaways: Toronto outclassed by Bucks team with lofty expectations
Date: January 17, 2025
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: In my latest at Sportsnet, I wrote about — you guessed it! — another Raptors loss, their second big one at the hands of the Bucks in as many weeks.
Can a pair of double-digit losses really be all that different?
Less than two weeks ago, the Toronto Raptors lost by 24 to the Milwaukee Bucks, taking the air out of the tires of the Raptors finally (briefly) having a healthy core together on the court. While the team would lose three more games before finally winning a pair this week, the team has pointed to that Bucks blowout as a turning point from an attitude perspective, a spiritual low-point when there were no injuries or absences to blame, only their own play.
On Friday, the Bucks once again handled the Raptors comfortably, winning 130-112 in Milwaukee to sweep the season series 3-0.
Whether they feel differently this time around is hard to project. They certainly can’t have another turning point in the same fortnight, and it may not be as required here. The effort level, if not the execution and attention to detail, was higher this time around, and Darko Rajakovic emptying out his bench with three minutes left, down 15, is a fairly clear admission that they were too overmatched.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 