National Basketball Association
Milwaukee 101, Toronto 94
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 4, 2017
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Officials: #18 Matt Boland, #19 James Capers, #51 Aaron Smith
Attendance: 16775

MILWAUKEE -- A little more than a month has passed since Spencer Hawes joined the Milwaukee Bucks and all he had to show for his time in the Brew City was three minutes of action at the tail end of a rout of the Clippers.

But that all changed Saturday night, when Hawes scored 16 points as the Bucks beat Toronto 101-94 at the Bradley Center.

"I wanted to get Hawes in the game yesterday and I got him in there late," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "(Playing a) back-to-back, (needing) energy, we needed a spark and I had a feeling with Hawes in the game, he stretches the defense, he's a true pro, he knows how to play the game. Not just shooting but he can pass the ball, too. We needed another voice and he gave us a spark."

Hawes did all that and more, hitting six of seven shots including a pair of 3-pointers while grabbing eight rebounds with a blocked shot in 17 minutes of work.

He single-handedly turned things around in the second quarter.

Milwaukee made just four of 22 shots to start the game, and trailed Toronto, 19-15 through one quarter. Hawes hit five shots in the second, including his 3-pointers, for 14 points as the Bucks went 16-for-21 from the floor and outscored the Raptors, 41-23, to take a nine-point lead into halftime.

"I think we were just playing the right way," Hawes said of the second. "Everybody was moving the ball, everybody was making it easier, playing defense, first of all. Pushing the ball in transition, everyone was touching it."

Hawes wasn't alone. Milwaukee also got a season-high 24 points -- including eight in the second -- from Khris Middleton, who played on consecutive nights for the first time this season after missing the first 50 games recovering from a torn hamstring.

"This is a big step forward in his comeback," Kidd said. "It just shows how much we missed him early in the season."

Milwaukee also got 21 from Giannis Antetokoumpo and 17 from Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon spent much of his night matched up against DeMar DeRozan, who had been averaging 34.5 points per game since the all-star break, was held to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

"It was extremely aggressive," DeRozan said of Brogdon's defense. "Playing against (Kidd's) teams the last four years, going back to the Brooklyn days, he's got a great feel playing against me with different defensive schemes. They did a great job."

Serge Ibaka led Toronto with 19 points while Cory Joseph added 14 and Jonas Valanciunas went 5-for-5 from the floor for 13 points.

Toronto shot 47 percent from the floor and went 7-for-21 from distance but gave up 20 points on 12 turnovers.

"(The second quarter) was killer," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "Spencer Hawes came in and changed the game with his 3-point shooting. We had talked about that, and getting back to him was an issue. On back-to-back nights, the little things are so important, (such as) executing, making sure you're where you're supposed to be, setting screens and finishing plays.

"One advantage we did have when Spencer Hawes was in there was attacking the rim, and we missed some easy shots. But again, the attention to detail, especially when you think you're a little fatigued is important."

Toronto made a surge to start the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to four on Fred VanVleet's layup with 5:52 left but the Bucks recovered and pushed the lead back to 10 on a Snell 3-pointer with 58 seconds to play.

NOTES: Raptors PG Kyle Lowry missed his fifth consecutive game while recovering from wrist surgery. Toronto is 4-2 when Lowry is not in the lineup this season. ... C Spencer Hawes scored his first points since joining the Bucks in a Feb. 2 trade with Charlotte. Prior to Saturday, he'd appeared in just one game, playing a total of three minutes. ...Bucks SG Khris Middleton made his third start of the season and second in as many nights. Middleton missed the first 50 games of the season with a torn hamstring. ... Saturday marked the first time this season no Raptors player scored 20 points in a game. ... Milwaukee snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Raptors, who had won the first three meetings in the season series and 13 of the last 14 overall.
Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Milwaukee
Serge Ibaka 19 Scoring Khris Middleton 24
Cory Joseph 8 Assists Giannis Antetokounmpo 4
Jonas Valanciunas 7 Rebounds Giannis Antetokounmpo 10
Norman Powell 4 Free Throws Made Giannis Antetokounmpo 5
P.J Tucker 1 Steals Khris Middleton 1
Serge Ibaka 2 Blocks Greg Monroe 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Toronto 94 46.7 7-21 17-20 20 36 4 2 12
Milwaukee 101 43.7 6-27 19-23 16 42 4 3 6
Upcoming Games
  • Milwaukee will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Bucks have a W/L % of .429 after a win and .485 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game on the road against New Orleans. The Raptors have a W/L % of .595 after a win and .577 after a loss.