5 Reasons The Milwaukee Bucks Lost Their 1st Round Series With Toronto

Apr 24, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls a ball as Toronto Raptors forward PJ Tucker (2) defends during the second quarter in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 27, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) during the third quarter in game six of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Turnovers

Neither the Milwaukee Bucks nor the Toronto Raptors are teams that feast in transition, pushing the pace and tossing up shots with 19 seconds remaining on the shot clock. While neither play at a glacial pace, these are not run-and-gun teams.

Therefore, opportunities gifted to another team by live ball turnovers can have even more of a negative impact. The Bucks found out the hard way in Game 4 that giving the ball over 20 times in a game is a path that leads to defeat.

In the clinching Game 6, the Raptors capitalized on 15 Milwaukee giveaways to score 19 points off of those turnovers, building a lead that proved just barely too difficult to overcome. They tossed in another 15 in their Game 5 defeat as well.

Giannis Antetokounmpo himself had seven turnovers in Game 4, matching a season-high. For the series Antetokounmpo averaged just 2.0 turnovers per game in the Bucks’ victories; that number doubled in Milwaukee losses.

Giving any team the ball 15 times without getting a shot up is a recipe for defeat, but against a Toronto team that didn’t generate much offense all year in transition it was even more damaging to the Bucks’ chances. This will almost certainly be an area of emphasis for the team over the offseason as it prepares for a season weighed more heavily with expectation.

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