Lowry sparks as Raptors level series with Bucks

Kyle Lowry scored 25 points – 18 in the first half – as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 120-102 on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Kawhi Leonard, who favoured his left leg at times, scored 19 points and had seven rebounds for Toronto. Norman Powell added 18 points off the bench. Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol each scored 17 points, and Fred VanVleet had 13 points. Ibaka also grabbed 13 rebounds.

Khris Middleton scored 30 points with six rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 points and 10 rebounds and Nikola Mirotic contributed 11 points.

The Raptors led by as many as 16 points during the third quarter and had a 13-point margin entering the fourth.

VanVleet made a three-pointer that bounced around the rim several times before dropping in, Ibaka sank a free throw and Powell hit a one-footer to put Toronto ahead by 20 points with 8:35 to play in the game.

The Bucks crept within 14, but Lowry’s lay-up had the lead at 21 with 3:50 to go. Ibaka’s dunk bumped the lead to 25.

The Raptors led 32-31 after one quarter, and they scored the first nine points of the second quarter to increase the margin to 10.

Middleton’s three-pointer with 7:08 remaining in the first half trimmed the deficit to five.

George Hill made two free throws to reduce the margin to four with 3:08 left, but Toronto went up by nine on Powell’s three-pointer with 1:53 left.

The Raptors led 65-55 at half-time with Lowry scoring 18 points. Middleton had 16 first-half points for Milwaukee.

Toronto led by 13 early in the third quarter on Pascal Siakam’s lay-up and free throw.

The Raptors had the lead as high as 14 before the Bucks went on a 7-0 surge to cut the gap in half.

Toronto pulled away again, taking a 12-point lead on Leonard’s step-back jumper with 3:15 remaining.

Lowry made two free throws with 1:17 to go, and Toronto led by 15. The Raptors got the lead to 16 before the third quarter ended with Toronto leading 94-81.

-Report by skysports