(Sports Network) - The Toronto Raptors hope to snap a three-game losing streak
Saturday night when they head to the Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee
Bucks.
The Raptors have lost four of five, but had a 7-5 February for their first
winning month since January of 2010. That was due in large part to the
acquisition of Rudy Gay in late January.
Toronto hits the road for a four-game trip, starting in Milwaukee. Saturday's
tilt with the Bucks will be the Raptors' first game outside the eastern time
zone since Dec. 28 and they will go further west next week to meet the Golden
State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers.
On Friday, the slide reached three after a 93-81 home loss to the Indiana
Pacers. Gay had 21 points and John Lucas III and Alan Anderson scored in
double figures off the bench.
The Raptors shot 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from the 3-point
line against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
"That's the level we've got to get ready for," said Raptors head coach Dwane
Casey. "If we go anywhere we need to develop that mentality when we go against
the hitting, grabbing, holding. That's playoff basketball. We've got to get
ready for that."
The Bucks have won two straight after a rough stretch. Both wins came on the
road and in Texas, but the Bucks have lost their last two in their own
building.
Both road wins were impressive, considering the Bucks were down double figures
in both games. On Wednesday, Milwaukee overcame a 17-point deficit to edge
the Houston Rockets, 110-107.
Monta Ellis hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to round out a great performance and
earn his team the tough victory.
"Thank God it went in. That's all I can say," said Ellis. "We played hard,
both teams played hard, we just stuck with it and it was just one of those
things where we had to force a shot. Thank God it went in."
Ellis, who played almost 45 minutes, had 27 points, 13 assists, six rebounds
and six steals.
Ersan Ilyasova netted 20, Mike Dunleavy added 16, newly-acquired J.J. Redick
had 14 and Larry Sanders scored 10.
The Bucks, who are six games clear of the Philadelphia 76ers for the eighth
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, have owned the Raptors in recent
history.
Milwaukee won in Toronto on Jan. 13 and swept the series each of the previous
two seasons for an eight-game winning streak against the Raptors. Toronto
hasn't won in Milwaukee since Nov. 1, 2008, dropping the past six visits.
The Sports Network