ThereB次元官网网址檚 a one-name superstar on either side: Giannis and Kawhi. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a Milwaukee franchise that hasnB次元官网网址檛 been to the NBA Finals in 45 years, opposite a Toronto franchise that has never been to the title round. The Bucks have a coach with an economics degree who wasnB次元官网网址檛 there last year; the Raptors have a coach with an accounting degree who wasnB次元官网网址檛 the boss last year.
Similarities abound between Milwaukee and Toronto.
Over the next couple of weeks, one team will separate itself.
The top-seeded Bucks play host to the second-seeded Raptors on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. They had the best records in the NBA this season B次元官网网址� Milwaukee went 60-22, Toronto went 58-24 B次元官网网址� and one of them will have home-court advantage for the NBA Finals starting May 30.
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B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 get caught up in peopleB次元官网网址檚 expectations,B次元官网网址� Raptors star Kawhi Leonard said Tuesday. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to worry about self-expectations, team expectations, and winning, and thatB次元官网网址檚 what we have to focus on. It doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter about the one-on-one match-up. This game isnB次元官网网址檛 a one-on-one basketball game.B次元官网网址�
Leonard made the shot that sent Toronto to the conference final, a buzzer-beating corner jumper over Joel Embiid that bounced on the rim four times before dropping. The Bucks, predictably, were impressed.
However, they werenB次元官网网址檛 rattled. The team with the best regular-season record also has the best record in these playoffs so far at 8-1, and confidence is not in short supply. The BucksB次元官网网址� only blemish in these playoffs is a Game 1 loss at home against Boston in the second round, a mistake that will be on their minds Wednesday.
B次元官网网址淎gainst Boston, you can go down 1-0 and youB次元官网网址檒l still be fine,B次元官网网址� Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said Tuesday. B次元官网网址淏ut against Toronto, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to be in that spot, to lose the first game in your home.B次元官网网址�
Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer is acutely aware of all that Leonard brings to the table. He was an assistant in San Antonio when Leonard was getting started there B次元官网网址� after the Spurs, somewhat ironically, traded George Hill to Indiana for LeonardB次元官网网址檚 draft rights. Hill is now the BucksB次元官网网址� backup point guard.
B次元官网网址淗e made a great first impression on San Antonio on his teammates, on his coaching staff,B次元官网网址� Budenholzer said when asked about his early days with Leonard. B次元官网网址淛ust the ability to get loose balls, rebounds and all kinds of little things that sometimes go unnoticed. But to think that he was going to evolve to the player he is B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 know when that happened.B次元官网网址�
HereB次元官网网址檚 some other things to know going into the Milwaukee-Toronto series:
RARITY
This is the first East final since 2006 where neither coach was leading his respective team a year earlier. MiamiB次元官网网址檚 Pat Riley faced off against DetroitB次元官网网址檚 Flip Saunders in 2006; Riley was in the Heat front office the previous year, and Saunders was getting fired by Minnesota. Raptors coach Nick Nurse was an assistant with the Raptors under Dwane Casey last season, and Budenholzer was in the final year of his stint with Atlanta.
INJURY WATCH
The Raptors are still without key reserve OG Anunoby (appendectomy), and Nurse said it likely will be at least another week before the team could pinpoint a possible return date. The Bucks will be without Pau Gasol for the rest of the season with a foot injury B次元官网网址� so unlike the West final where Golden StateB次元官网网址檚 Stephen Curry meets PortlandB次元官网网址檚 Seth Curry in a brother-brother matchup, the East final will be played without Raptors centre Marc Gasol facing his brother.
POWER MATCHUP
This is the first time an East final has paired teams that posted at least 58 regular-season wins since 2011, when Miami (58-24) beat Chicago (62-20). ItB次元官网网址檚 the 33rd time that a No. 1 seed has faced a No. 2 seed since the 16-team format was put into use in 1984; in the East, No. 2 seeds have beaten No. 1 10 of 18 times, and in the West itB次元官网网址檚 the No. 1 seeds with an 8-6 edge.
CHASING HISTORY
Toronto has already tied a franchise record with 66 wins this season, counting both regular season and playoff contests. The 2015-16 Raptors went 66-38 overall; these Raptors are 66-28 so far. The Bucks are up to 68 wins this season, fourth-most in franchise history. The 1970-71 Bucks won 78 games, so MilwaukeeB次元官网网址檚 single-season mark is out of reach, but this seasonB次元官网网址檚 team could get to No. 2. The 1973-74 Bucks won 70 games and the 1971-72 Bucks won 69.
MONEY MATTERS
The NBAB次元官网网址檚 playoff pool of bonus money this season is a record $21,676,510, and Milwaukee and Toronto are both assured a significant chunk of that. The Bucks have already claimed $2,516,774 in pool money; the Raptors are up to $1,782,207. The winner of this series is assured $2,543,681 more just for making the NBA Finals B次元官网网址� and would get another $1,295,117 for winning the title.
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
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