TORONTO – Khris Middleton scored 25 points and the undermanned Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Toronto Raptors 82-75 on Monday to extend their winning streak to four games.
Middleton, a forward who started at shooting guard, shot 10 for 17 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds as the Bucks (26-22) snapped the six-game winning streak by the Raptors (33-16).
Forward Jared Dudley added 14 points for the Bucks, including a big 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo added 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and center John Henson had 12 points for the Bucks, who led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.
Guard-forward DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 16 points, and center Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 13 points for the Raptors, who never led by tied the game at 75 late in the fourth quarter. Guard Lou Williams had 12 points while guard-forward Terrence Ross added 10 for Toronto.
Bucks guard O.J. Mayo was ejected from the game after receiving a double technical foul with 4:08 to play in the first half. He had seven points. Mayo’s ejection left Milwaukee with eight healthy players.
The Raptors shot only 32.1 percent from the field.
The Bucks led throughout the first quarter, which ended 23-14 with Middleton scoring nine points. The Raptors shot 6 for 24 (25 percent) from the field in the quarter.
The Bucks led by as many as 11 points early in the second quarter. The Raptors cut it to two before the Bucks took a 47-41 lead into the intermission after guard Jerryd Bayless ended the half with a layup.
Middleton had 13 points at the half for the Bucks. Valanciunas led Toronto in the first half with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Middleton’s 3-pointer early in the third quarter gave the Bucks a 12-point lead. Bucks forward Jared Dudley hit 26-foot, 3-pointer to give Milwaukee a 13-point lead with 9:30 to play in the third quarter. Middleton’s 3-pointer gave Milwaukee an 18-point lead with 2:25 left in the third, which ended with the Bucks leading 73-60.
The Raptors cut the lead to seven points when guard Greivis Vasquez made a 3-point shot with 8:24 left in the game. Williams made two free throws with 4:36 to play to reduce Milwaukee’s lead to 75-73.
After the Raptors tied the game at 75 on a 15-2 run, the Bucks took a one-point lead when Antetokounmpo made one of two free throws with 3:26 to play. Dudley made a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Bucks a four-point lead with 2:07 left.
The Raptors turned the ball over with 1:50 to play.
Antetokounmpo made one of two free throws with 1:38 left for a five-point lead.
Guard Kyle Lowry turned the ball over with 50 seconds left and Bayless hit a jumper with 30 seconds left for a seven-point lead.
NOTES: Raptors F James Johnson (right hamstring strain) missed his third consecutive game. … The last time the Raptors won seven consecutive games was during the team-record, nine-game winning streak from March 22-April 9, 2002. They failed to get their seventh straight win this time too…. Bucks C Zaza Pachulia (right calf strain) and F Ersan Ilyasova (sore right groin) were both out for a third straight game. … Milwaukee G Brandon Knight (sore right quadriceps) also was out, and G Jorge Gutierrez started in his place, leaving the Bucks with nine healthy players. … The Bucks are four games above .500 at 26-22. The last time Milwaukee was four games above .500 was Feb. 2, 2013. …The Bucks return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. …The Raptors play the second game of a five-game homestand Wednesday against the Brooklyn Nets.