Raptors' Leonard, Siakam come up big in showdown with Bucks

Kawhi Leonard had a simple explanation after the Toronto Raptors' latest victory.

"If you want to win, you got to play defence," Leonard said. "That is every game in the NBA."

Leonard also matched his season high with five steals.

Serge Ibaka added 25 points and nine rebounds, Fred VanVleet had a season-high tying 21 points and Danny Green 12 points and nine rebounds for Toronto which snapped a three-game losing streak to Milwaukee.

Toronto improved to 29-12, and Milwaukee dropped to 27-11.

Watch Leonard, Siakam lead Raptors past Bucks:

Game Wrap: Leonard and Siakam lead Raptors past Bucks

6 years ago

Duration 1:39

Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam both put up 30 points in Toronto's 123-116 win over Milwaukee.

Milwaukee led in the first quarter, but saw the margin shrink to one at the half as Toronto started making shots and playing defence.

"I thought that we kind of took some air out of them a little bit there," VanVleet said. "That was a huge way to close the half. We closed it [the second] with a 7-0 run and came out in the third quarter with another run. I thought that we were in control for the rest of the way."

The Bucks clung to a 57-56 lead at the half, but the Raptors had already turned the game in their favour.

"We kind of let up the second quarter going into the half," the Bucks Eric Bledsoe said. "They cut it to one and we kind of let up then. We never could get our rhythm back."

Watch former Raptor says he wouldn't have made the DeRozan trade:

Former Raptor: 'I wouldn't have made the DeRozan trade'

6 years ago

Duration 4:42

Former Toronto Raptor Jerome Williams catches up with CBC Sports Anson Henry about the Raptors and the DeMar DeRozan trade while sharing his favourite gameday meal.

Toronto opened the third with a 26-12 run, capped by Siakam's turnaround bank hook for a 63-57 lead at the 10:05 mark.

"What helped us was the beginning of that third quarter," Leonard said. "We came out in the first two minutes playing well, getting stops, getting some open looks. We kept moving from there."

Antetokounmpo tried to rally the Bucks in the fourth when he scored eight points on a pair of 3s and a layup during a 14-4 run. His three-pointer gave Milwaukee a 96-95 lead with 8:12 to play, but the Raptors answered with a 15-2 surge capped by Siakam's wide-open 3 from the corner for a 110-98 lead with 5:14 to play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points and 18 rebounds, each stat one shy of his career-high. Malcolm Brogdon added 15 points and Middleton and Bledsoe each had 14. The Bucks had won five straight.

Milwaukee was coming off a 144-112 victory over Atlanta on Friday night.