TORONTO _ Kyle Lowry was out to redeem himself after a subpar performance in Game 1.
And the Toronto Raptors point guard did just that, hitting the game-clinching jumper to help his team escape with a 106-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with the teams headed to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Lowry's step-back 20-footer over Malcolm Brogdon with 8.9 seconds left gave Toronto a 104-100 lead and finally secured the victory, after the Bucks rallied several times and tied the score late in the game on Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3-pointer.
The Bucks had two wide-open 3-point looks by Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova with chances to take the lead moments later _ after DeMar DeRozan's jumper gave the Raptors a 102-100 edge with 1:43 left.
Antetokounmpo had 24 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton added 20 points. Greg Monroe had 18 points and Tony Snell 14.
DeRozan led Toronto with 23 points and Lowry finished with 22 points, five assists and four rebounds. Serge Ibaka had 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
The Raptors came out with a determined effort and Lowry had 17 points in the first half after scoring just four in Game 1.
Lowry at first hesitated about going to the basket but later made some strong drives and was 4 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3-point distance in the half.
Toronto was just 5 of 23 from 3-point range in Game 1, but they had eight triples by halftime (in 17 attempts).
The Bucks managed to stay close with the help of 11 points each from Monroe and Middleton. Antetokounmpo had eight points and 10 rebounds but missed 10 of 14 shots in the half.
Milwaukee finished the half on a 10-5 run and pulled within 55-52 on Spencer Hawes' tip-in at the buzzer, after a missed tip by Antetokounmpo.
The Raptors surged with a 13-0 run to take a 73-60 lead early in the third quarter, but the Bucks responded with a 15-4 run to force a Toronto timeout.
Middleton and Snell had 3-pointers in the run and Antetokounmpo contributed a one-handed dunk.
A 3-pointer by Ibaka pushed Toronto's lead to 84-77, but the Bucks scored the final six points of the quarter, all on free throws. Antetokounmpo went 4 of 4 and Monroe 2 of 2 at the end of the quarter.
Ibaka sank two more 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter and the Raptors led, 95-83, before the Bucks rallied again.
The Bucks pulled within 98-97 on a basket by Antetokounmpo off a lob from Dellavedova, but Ibaka hit a jumper. Antetokounmpo then buried a 3 with 2:02 left to tie the game at 100-all.
DeRozan sank a jumper for a Toronto lead, and the Bucks had two wide-open 3-point attempts but Brogdon and Dellavedova missed. Antetokounmpo fouled P.J. Tucker but the Raptors forward missed both free throws with 56.7 seconds left.
The Bucks could not free Antetokounmpo for a shot and the ball eventually went to Middleton, who missed a pull-up jumper with 33.7 seconds remaining.
