The Milwaukee Bucks took a 2-0 lead to Scotiabank Arena and are now coming back home to the Fiserv Forum with the series against the Toronto Raptors tied after four games. Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton has seen this series evolve into a dogfight, one he admits is a new development for this young team:
“It is a little bit of a new space,” said Connaughton, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews. “We are in the Eastern Conference Finals. It's a new stage. Sometimes, you look at the stage as opposed to seeing it as just another basketball game. The fact of the matter is, you're playing a better team. You're playing a team that has made it this far as well. They've had to fight through adversity — they've had a seven game series already. For us, it's about making sure we learn from it. It's a new space, but a new space can only make you stronger if you deal with it the right way.”
The Bucks were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in seven games in the first round last season, yet managed to breeze past the first two rounds of this postseason with an 8-1 record, now facing a roadblock with the Raptors making adjustments and making use of a loud venue to turn the tables and make it a best-of-three series.
Milwaukee still has two of the next three games at home, which should prove a major advantage. But Connaughton is plenty aware that the Raptors won't go away without throwing their best punches, which should only make the Bucks more battle-tested if they manage to reach the NBA Finals.
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