The Milwaukee Bucks look to rebound Tuesday night in Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
The Bucks lost Sunday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, 118-112, after two overtimes.
Kawhi Leonard led Toronto with 36 points, including eight in the second overtime.
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Bucks forward Khris Middleton said he and his teammates will need to step up on offense in Game 4, because Leonard will hit his shots even against the Bucks’ strong defense.
“I keep saying this over and over: he’s a great player,” Middleton told reporters Monday. “You can’t stop great players. You can only make it tough on them.”
The Bucks lead two games to one in the best-of-seven series. The winner of the series advances to the league finals, something the Bucks haven’t done since 1974.
The Milwaukee team is looking for its first NBA title since 1971.
The two teams will return Thursday to Milwaukee for Game 5.
Another Bucks forward, Nikola Mirotic, agreed the defense has been strong throughout the playoffs, even if the offense has sometimes been inconsistent. And he added that, despite a long double-overtime game just days before, the Bucks have plenty of gas in their collective tank.
“The guys are ready,” Mirotic said. “We have a deep bench, everybody’s stepping up, everybody’s playing well. We feel fresh.”
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