The Cuban-American center Brook López emerged with his best basketball so far in the playoffs by contributing 29 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, from the first game of the Eastern Conference finals that his Milwaukee Bucks team beat the Toronto Rapttors 108-100.
The victory gave the Bucks a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and Game 2 will be played on Friday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
López, who finished with a double-double by capturing 11 rebounds, gave two assists and put up four blocks, completely dominated the individual duel to the Spanish center Marc Gasol and made the difference in the decisive moments of the last two minutes of the game when the Bucks broke the score in their favor.
Greek power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo also responded as the team leader by scoring another double-double of 24 points, 14 rebounds -10 defensively, gave six assists, recovered two balls, lost five and made three blocks.
Along with López and Antetokounmpo, three other players had double-digit numbers, including guard Malcolm Brogdon, who finished with 15 points after scoring three 3-pointers from six attempts, grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists, which left him as the winning factor.
Spanish Montenegrin power forward Nikola Mirotic, who continued to start, did not have his best scoring inspiration, but did a good teamwork by finishing the game with 13 points.
Mirotic played 25 minutes and made 3 of 9 shots from the field, including a triple of six attempts, and was perfect from the personnel line at 6-6.
While the former Real Madrid player captured six rebounds, put a block, lost two balls and committed a foul.
“It was the game we needed to win at the beginning of the series,” Mirotic commented. “It is true that we have not shone in the offensive game, but we scored the decisive baskets in the final stretch after having always stayed in the game.”
The game was decided in the last minute after López, with 2:20 left, dunked and in the next possession the Bucks got a devastating triple, assisted by Antetokounmpo, who put his team ahead with four points 104-100 .
The team with the best record of the regular season, which had been behind most of the game on the scoreboard, did just enough in the closing minutes to secure a golden victory.
Again, forward Kawhi Leonard with 31 points, nine rebounds -eight defensive-, two assists and three ball recoveries was the leader of the Raptors, but this time he could not get the miraculous basket of the victory as he did in the seventh and decisive in the semifinal tie against the Philadelphia Sixers.
The point guard Kyle Lowry, who played his best game in the playoffs, reached 30 points, with eight rebounds, but only two assists.
While Cameroonian power forward Pascal Siakam finished as the third highest scorer by contributing 15 points and completing the list of the three Raptors players who had double-digit numbers.
Three other players, including Spaniards Gasl and power forward Serge Ibaka each scored six goals, but in the end none of them could be the winning factor.
Gasol played 40 minutes in which he barely scored 2 of 11 shots from the field, with 2 of 7 triples, without going to the personnel line.
While his great work was within the paint in the defensive game by capturing 12 rebounds -all under the basket of the Raptors-, in addition to giving five assists.
The Sant Boi player also put up two blocks, lost a ball and committed three personal fouls.
Ibaka, who came out of reserve, remained in the same line as Gasol, without scoring inspiration, by finishing with six points in the 17 minutes he played.
The Spanish international, who after the withdrawal of Pau Gasol, due to injury, has become one of the contenders for the position, scored 2 of 6 field goals, missed the two triple attempts he made and did not go to the staff line.
Ibaka under the hoops captured four rebounds – three defensive – gave an assist, recovered a ball, put a block and committed two fouls.
The Bucks did not begin to get ahead on the scoreboard until the middle of the fourth period when they achieved a 96-91 partial, but the Raptors with Leonard de Ler made a 2-9 run that allowed them to return to the front of the scoreboard with a 98 partial -100 in the absence of 3:32 minutes.
Until the figure of López emerged with the next five consecutive dunk and triple points, which changed the history of the game, the final score and ensured the victory of the Bucks.
Both teams did not have their best scoring inspiration, failing to hit 40 percent on field goals and 3-pointers, but it was the Bucks’ team effort that ultimately prevailed and made the difference.
The Bucks trailed 37 out of 48 regulation minutes, but always close enough to the comeback until they found a way to play their best. basketball of the game, when it really counts in the playoffs, in the final and deciding minutes. EFE