NBA GAME RECAP

Raptors even series behind DeRozan, Lowry

The Sports Xchange

April 18, 2017 at 7:00 pm.

Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) tries to get around Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) tries to get around Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee defeated Toronto 97-83. Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points and hit the go-ahead jump shot late in the fourth quarter as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 106-100 on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one game each.

Kyle Lowry added 22 points for the Raptors and made the clinching jumper. Serge Ibaka scored 16 points for Toronto, Cory Joseph had 11, and Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Khris Middleton added 20 points, Greg Monroe had 18 and Tony Snell scored 14.

The Raptors took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter before reeling off 11 straight points to go up by 12. Milwaukee cut the lead to five with six minutes left. The Raptors led by one point with 2:46 to play after Antetokounmpo made a layup.

Ibaka hit a jumper to put Toronto up by three and Antetokounmpo made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 100 with two minutes to play.

DeRozan made a pull-up jumper to give Toronto a two-point lead with 1:43 left. Lowry’s jumper increased the lead to four points with 8.9 seconds to play. Patrick Patterson then hit two free throws for Toronto.

DeRozan scored the final four points of the first quarter to give Toronto a 28-25 lead. DeRozan had 12 points in the quarter while Middleton scored nine for Milwaukee.

The Raptors opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run to lead by eight.

Toronto led 55-52 at the intermission. Lowry, who had four points in Game 1, led all first-half scorers with 17 points. Middleton and Monroe had 11 each for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo had eight points and 10 rebounds.

The Raptors were ahead by eight points with 7:34 to play in the third quarter after Valanciunas made a hook shot. A 3-pointer by DeMarre Carroll and a layup by Lowry stretched the lead to 13.

Middleton hit a turnaround, fade-away jumper to cut the lead to two points with 3:24 to play in the quarter. The Raptors led 84-83 after the third quarter.

Ibaka made two 3-pointers as Toronto scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to open the 12-point lead. A dunk by Thom Maker trimmed the lead to five with six minutes to play. Antetokounmpo’s layup and free throw cut the lead to three with 4:32 to play.

NOTES: The Raptors have lost nine straight opening games in first-round playoff series. They are the first NBA team since the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings 1981-2001 to lose nine consecutive series-opening games. … Saturday’s win was the Bucks’ first Game 1 victory on the road since 1983 and their first Game 1 victory since 2001. … Toronto F Serge Ibaka was able to start Tuesday after missing practice Monday due to a sprained ankle he sustained in Game 1. … Milwaukee F Giannis Antetokounmpo finished the regular season ranked in the top 20 in the NBA in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. No other NBA player has done that for an entire season. … Game 3 will be played Thursday in Milwaukee.