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Fred Vanvleet and Kawhi Leonard went off as they led the Toronto Raptors to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum Arena in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Raptors are now just one win away from reaching their first NBA Finals in the 24 years of their existence.
Vanvleet, an undrafted player from Wichita State, had arguably the best outing of his career as he went off from three-point land for a career-high seven made threes and ended his night with 21 points on 7-13 shooting.
Kawhi Leonard also had a stellar night as he poured in 35 points to go along with 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Malcolm Brogdon, both had solid nights but could not lead their team to victory as the Bucks now trail Toronto 2-3 in the best of seven series.
Giannis finished the night with 24 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds but made some crucial mistakes down the line. Brogdon chipped in with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bucks started the game firing on all cylinders as they took an early lead of 18-4 halfway through the first quarter. But, Toronto weathered the storm and had its first lead, 36-34 with 4:43 left in the second quarter.
At halftime, the Bucks led the Raptors 49-46. From then on, the game went back and forth as both teams took momentary leads with the help of strong runs.
In the fourth period, Raptors took their defense a notch higher as they made several critical plays defensively and did not allow the Bucks to score in the paint.
Kawhi Leonard, once again had an incredible start to the fourth quarter as he scored 10 points in quick succession. Raptors starting center Marc Gasol had an underwhelming game overall but made a clutch three late in the quarter.
Fred Vanvleet sealed the game for good as he made a three from the wing, which put the Raptors up 96-93 with two minutes left in the game.
This is the first time all season, the Bucks have lost three straight and look knee-deep in the water as they head back to Toronto for game 6.
Toronto is now one win away from booking a place in the NBA Finals where they will have the chance to face two-time defending champions, the Golden State Warriors.
Game summary: Toronto Raptors beat Milwaukee Bucks: 105-99
Key performers in the game:
Kawhi Leonard, TOR - 35 points (11-25 FGM), 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
Kyle Lowry, TOR - 17 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL - 24 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds
Eric Bledsoe, MIL - 20 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Malcolm Brogdon, MIL - 18 points, 6 assists, 11 rebounds
Best performer in the game:
Fred Vanvleet, TOR - 21 points, 7- 3 PM
Next Game: Game 6 in Toronto (Scotia Bank Arena)
Date: 26th May, Sunday
Start Time: 6 AM IST
Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, Sony SIX, Sony LIV App
