Bucks Overwhelm Raptors in NBA Cup Opener
Giannis Antetokounmpo guided the Milwaukee Bucks to a commanding 99-85 win against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Cup, their first game. With star player Damian Lillard out because of a concussion, Giannis stepped up, scoring 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He additionally provided seven assists, four blocks, and four rebounds in 33 minutes. Despite experiencing some turnover problems, the Milwaukee Bucks managed to dominate the game and improved their record to 3-8 for the season, dealing the Raptors their 10th defeat in NBA Cup.
Raptors’ Struggles and Turnovers
Toronto had difficulty keeping possession, resulting in 14 turnovers during the first half. Though Jakob Poeltl contributed 13 points and eight rebounds, the Raptors were unable to bounce back from these errors. Head coach Darko Rajakovic pointed to turnovers and offensive rebounding as crucial elements in the loss.
Pistons Win Thriller in Overtime
In another thrilling East Group B clash, the Detroit Pistons narrowly defeated the Miami Heat 123-121 in overtime in NBA Cup. Simone Fontecchio contributed to Detroit’s victory by scoring 10 points and providing three assists. Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra made a significant error by calling a timeout despite the Heat having none available, leading to a technical foul. Malik Beasley made the decisive free throw with only 1.1 seconds left, clinching the Pistons’ win.
Jovic Injured in the Heat’s Loss
Regrettably for the Heat, Serbian forward Nikola Jovic exited the game prematurely after a clash with Beasley caused him to bleed from his nose. Jovic, who recorded two points and one rebound in 2:30 of action, was found to have a reduced septum and did not come back. Spoelstra expressed regret for his late-game error, recognizing his part in the defeat.
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