Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse directs his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, April 2, 2023. The Toronto Raptors are sitting some of their biggest names for their season finale against the Milwaukee Bucks. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Nell Redmond
TORONTO – Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points as the Toronto Raptors downed the Milwaukee Bucks 121-105, with both teams resting key players Sunday ahead of the NBA playoffs.
Precious Achiuwa had a double-double for Toronto (41-41) with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Malachi Flynn scored a season-high 20 off the bench.
Bobby Portis Jr. scored 16 for Milwaukee (58-24) and Meyers Leonard earned a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists.
Raptors leading scorer Pascal Siakam, point guard Fred VanVleet, and defensive stalwart O.G. Anunoby all sat out the regular-season finale to rest before the post-season.
The Raptors finished ninth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and will host the No. 10 Chicago Bulls in a play-in game Wednesday.
Milwaukee had already clinched the best record in the NBA and rested superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, point guard Jrue Holiday and centre Brook Lopez.
Toronto head coach Nick Nurse said before the game that Trent would play “as many minutes as he can handle,” after the shooting guard missed significant time with an elbow injury and lower back spasms.
“He’s been out there working pretty hard for the last 10 days,” said Nurse of Trent’s preparation for Wednesday’s play-in game.
“But there is nothing like some game reps to try to get him back. We’re certainly going to need him.”
Goran Dragic was booed by a sellout of 19,800 at Scotiabank Arena when he came off Milwaukee’s bench in the first quarter.
Dragic played five games for Toronto in the 2021-22 season before stepping away from the team for “personal reasons,” and leading to his trade to San Antonio.
The Spurs bought out his contract five days later.
Trent led all scorers with 14 points after the first quarter. His three three-pointers keyed the Raptors to their early 35-26 lead.
Nurse turned to his bench for much of the second quarter, but Trent added six more point to his total.
Toronto native and reserve guard Dalano Banton scored nine points in his six minutes of play as the Raptors built a 67-55 before the intermission.
Guard Will Barton stripped Milwaukee’s MarJon Beauchamp of the ball just past the midway point of the third for the sixth of eight Raptors’ steals in the game.
Toronto set a single-season franchise record of 772 total steals to surpass the 1997-98 season (769).
The Raptors averaged a league-best 9.4 steals per game this season.
Achiuwa led all scorers in the third quarter, earning 10 points as Toronto led by as much as 18 points.
Achiuwa brought the crowd to its feet with a massive one-handed jam earlier in the quarter and the Raptors went into the final period with a 95-79 lead.
Ron Harper Jr. made a 24-foot three-pointer with 6:53 left to play to extend Toronto’s lead to 20 points.
The Raptors didn’t let up, with rookie centre Christian Koloko’s free throw the final score of the game.
It was Toronto’s fourth straight home victory. The Raptors have finished above .500 eight the last nine seasons.
JURASSIC PARK – Preparation began outside Scotiabank Arena for playoff viewing parties for both the Raptors and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. A courtyard west of the arena was cordoned off with a stage set up to host fans watching the Raptors play-in game on outdoor screens. The Maple Leafs are currently the second seed in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, with that league’s post-season starting April 17.
UP NEXT – Toronto hosts a play-in game Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.
The winner meets the loser of the seventh and eighth seeds game between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2023.
