MILWAUKEE—The top two teams in the NBA, by regular-season record, hook up in a seven-game series to determine the Eastern Conference champion starting Wednesday night in Milwaukee. The Bucks, 60-22 in the regular season, have not played for an NBA title since a six-game loss to Boston in 1974. The Raptors, 58-24, have never been further than a conference final, losing in six games to Cleveland in 2016. Both teams like to play at a high tempo — not necessarily run-and-gun on every possession, but fast, and getting up shots early in the shot clock suits them both. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is a heavy favourite to be voted most valuable player, but he’ll be matched up at times with Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard, who has been the best player in the playoffs so far. That’s unquestionably the marquee matchup in the series, but it’s always secondary stars who have a large impact on outcomes. The schedule Game 1: Wednesday @ Bucks, 8:30 p.m. Game 2: Friday @ Bucks, 8:30 p.m. Game 3: Sunday @ Raptors, 7 p.m. Game 4: Tues. May 21 @ Raptors, 8:30 p.m. Game 5: Thurs. May 23 @ Bucks, 8:30 p.m.* Game 6: Sat. May 25 @ Raptors, 8:30 p.m.* Game 7: Mon. May 27 @ Bucks 8:30 p.m.* *if necessary Here’s how the Raptors-Bucks series breaks down: The season Milwaukee won the season series 3-1, but it shouldn’t have a huge bearing on the conference final. The last game between the teams was Jan. 31, before Toronto added Marc Gasol and Milwaukee augmented its roster by picking up George Hill and Nikola Mirotic at February’s trade deadline. The history It’s the second time in three years that they have met in a playoff series; Toronto won in six games in 2016, winning Game 5 at home and closing out the series at the now-defunct BMO Bradley Centre. Your call! The starters Raptors Kyle Lowry: 12.4 ppg, 7.1 apg, 28.1 three-point field goal percentage, 2.5 free throw attempts per game Danny Green: 8.4 ppg, 37.8 field-goal percentage, 36.5 three-point field-goal percentage, 5.3 three-point field-goal attempts per game Kawhi Leonard: 31.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 53.9 field-goal percentage, 37.3 minutes per game Pascal Siakam: 20.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 48.3 field-goal percentage, 35.8 minutes per game Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Marc Gasol: 8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 45.8 field-goal percentage, 31 minutes per game Bucks Eric Bledsoe: 16 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.4 turnovers per game, 27.9 three-point field goal percentage Khris Middleton: 19.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.6 apg, 46.7 three-point field-goal percentage Sterling Brown: 4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 66.7 free-throw percentage, 18.9 minutes per game Giannis Antetokounmpo: 27.4 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, 52.2 field-goal percentage Brook Lopez: 8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 27.2 minutes per game, 27.9 three-point field-goal percentage A handful of very intriguing matchups, anchored by Leonard-Antetokounmpo, but the veteran point guards Lowry and Bledsoe should be a good one, and secondary stars Siakam and Middleton are absolutely worth watching closely. Toronto’s starters were outstanding in the first two series and had to be, because of minimal production from the backups. The Raptors have been tied together on a defensive string and will have to continue that against a potent Bucks starting group. Milwaukee has surrounded Antetokounmpo with a bevy of shooters and could add former rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon to the starting unit now that he’s back from a foot injury. The bench Raptors: Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell Bucks: Malcolm Brogdon, George Hill, Pat Connaughton, Nikola Mirotic, Ersan Ilyasova The bench has been a sore spot offensively for the Raptors for the duration of the playoffs, so much so that coach Nick Nurse went with a seven-man rotation in the last three halves of the Sixers series. They are going to have to find someone else to contribute — Norm Powell? Patrick McCaw? — as well as get better production from VanVleet and Ibaka. Milwaukee is like Toronto was a year ago — willing and able to play 10 men — and it’s lessened the load on the starters. But as the stakes get bigger, rotations tend to shrink and maybe Milwaukee cuts back on this obvious advantage. The coaches Given that the Raptors had great interest in Mike Budenholzer and interviewed him before choosing Nurse over him, and that Budenholzer parlayed some of Toronto’s interest into a gig with the Bucks, there’s a bit of juice to the coaching matchups. There’s sure to be discussion about adjustments and adjustments to adjustments, and a microscopic examination of the decisions they make, but at the end of the day the players have to make plays. The prediction There’s really not an awful lot to choose between the teams, and it’s fitting that the top two teams in the league are meeting for a chance to play for a title. It’s pretty easy to see the first four games ending in a 2-2 split somehow. After that, does the series turn into a homecourt affair like Toronto’s last one did? But if you get to a Game 7, all bets are off. So ... a 3-3 tie and then, who knows?<doc-sep>The Toronto Raptors will play in the NBA Eastern Conference final for just the second time in team history when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday to kick off a best-of-seven series. Here's a look at how the teams match up: Superstar matchup The best-of-seven series will feature arguably the two best players in the Eastern Conference in Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo. Leonard is averaging 31.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs and has been the Raptors' leading scorer in all but two of those contests. That includes a 41-point performance in Game 7 of Toronto's Eastern Conference semifinal with Philadelphia, punctuated by his now-famous buzzer-beating series-winning shot that bounced on the rim four times before going in. His team routinely gets dismantled in the rare minutes the Raptors can afford to give him some rest. In short, Leonard is clearly the talisman in Toronto. Antetokounmpo has no doubt been a force in this post-season with averages of 27.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. But he hasn't had to take over games as Leonard has. In a four-game sweep of Detroit and a five-game win over Boston, Milwaukee has an average margin of victory of 15.3 points. The Raptors played Leonard for an average of just under 40 minutes a game against the Sixers. Antetokounmpo has been able to get a lot more time on the bench with a playoff average of 31.4 minutes per game. Leonard likely gets the slight edge here as a battle-tested playoff performer with a NBA final MVP award to his name. The Greek Freak is perfectly capable of taking over a playoff series, but hasn't been put to the test yet. WATCH | Kawhi Leonard hits mesmerizing buzzer beater: Leonard's ridiculous buzzer-beater sends Raptors to Eastern finals Sports 1:23 Kawhi Leonard poured in 41 points, including a dramatic game-winner as the Toronto Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers 92-90 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. 1:23 Supporting cast There is no question that Antetokounmpo gets more help on offence than Leonard. The Bucks have had at least four players score in double digits in every playoff game except one — their Game 1 loss to Boston in the conference semifinals. All-star forward Khris Middleton and guard Eric Bledsoe are capable of posting 20-plus points on any given night. The return of Malcolm Brogdon, who missed 21 games with a plantar fascia tear before returning to action in Game 5 of the series against Boston, adds another weapon. Brogdon was a 42.6 per cent shooter from beyond the arc in the regular season. Outside of Leonard, the Raptors have been inconsistent on offence. Forward Pascal Siakam was a dependable second option in the first round against Orlando and the start of the series with Philadelphia, but he hasn't been as dangerous since suffering a calf contusion in a Game 3 blowout loss to the Sixers. All-star point guard Kyle Lowry was 10-for-39 from three in the Philadelphia series, while shooting guard Danny Green, who shot from long range at a blistering 45.5 per cent clip in the regular season, is a disappointing 36.5 in the playoffs. Centre Marc Gasol has been fine on defence but needs to contribute more offensively. The bench of centre Serge Ibaka, guard Fred VanVleet and forward Norman Powell has been largely ineffective, though Ibaka has stepped up his game of late. Despite their offensive struggles, the Raptors have been largely getting it done with defence. Toronto has held its opponent to under 100 points in nine of its 12 post-season games, winning eight of those. While Leonard is a sublime defender, it has largely been a team effort. Lowry, in particular, has been a force on defence, creating turnovers and bailing his team out with timely offensive rebounds. The Bucks have a clear edge here, but continued defensive toughness from the Raptors, coupled with a marked improvement in offensive support for Leonard, could close the gap. The Raptors will need more scoring from Pascal Siakam, left, against the Bucks. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press) Familiar foes The Raptors and Bucks met three times in the regular season, with Milwaukee winning the series 3-1. Notably, the Bucks won twice at Scotiabank Arena, including a 13-point victory the last time the clubs faced off on Jan. 31. The only Raptors victory came in Milwaukee on Jan. 5, with Siakam scoring a then-career high of 30 points in a 123-116 win. Milwaukee went on to finish first in the East with a 60-22 record, two games ahead of the Raptors (58-24). Toronto won the only other playoff meeting between the teams, capturing a first-round series in six games in 2017. While that Bucks team featured many of its present key pieces, including Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Brogdon, the Raptors were a much different team with players like DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph.<doc-sep>The Toronto Raptors are moving on the Eastern Conference Finals to face the juggernaut, Milwaukee Bucks. Before these two teams showdown, we asked our contributors the biggest questions heading into the series. The Toronto Raptors are here. The most important series in franchise history. A chance to play in the NBA Finals. The Milwaukee Bucks are no easy path. Milwaukee finished the regular season as the best team in the NBA and now will look to prove their value against their toughest opponent yet. What are the answers to winning the series? We ask our top contributors their thoughts on the five biggest questions heading into the Eastern Conference Finals. What is the most important part of the Raptors stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo? Jordan Skuse: Overall team defence will be key, as no one player is capable of slowing down Giannis on their own – not even Kawhi Leonard. Much like how it has elected to guard Ben Simmons in the Sixers series, Toronto needs to give Giannis space and encourage him to shoot from the outside because once he gets into the paint, it’s practically game over. Also, limiting transition opportunities will be vital to slowing down Giannis and Milwaukee’s offence. Mike Bossetti: Giving him different looks. Giannis is too good and too smart if you plan on consistently throwing the same defense at him. Boston was effective in Game 1 with Horford, but eventually, he figured it out. Toronto needs to use occasional doubles, defend him with different players, or perhaps even throw in a little 3-2 zone at him. Go Paolo: Why stop Giannis? He isn’t the problem. Giannis only averaged 19 points a game in the three games Milwaukee won. The only game they lost, he dropped 43 points. Let Giannis score all he wants and lock down the perimeter scoring. I’m more concerned about them stopping the three-headed monster of Middleton, Lopez, and Mirotic. Vimal Sivakumar: Speed. Toronto can’t stop Giannis completely. However, if Toronto utilizes its capable players appropriately (Siakam, primarily), I believe speed will be the key to mitigating Antetokounmpo for the Raptors. With both their hands and their feet, Giannis’ primary defenders need to be quick enough in their movement to disrupt and annoy him, thereby forcing him to defer, throughout this series.<doc-sep>Milwaukee has punched its ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals where it awaits the winner of the Eastern Conference Semifinals series between Toronto and Philadelphia. For an idea of the potential matchup, take a look back at the Bucks regular-season series with each team. The Bucks await the winner of the series between the Raptors and Sixers With a Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics, the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. The Bucks now await the winner of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the No. 2 seed Raptors and No. 3 seed Sixers. As Milwaukee boasted the league's best regular-season record in 2018-19, it had its fair share of success against both Toronto and Philadelphia, compiling a record of 5-2 against the two teams. Let's revisit each of the Bucks' seven matchups with two of the East's elite… Milwaukee Bucks vs. Toronto Raptors (Bucks won season series 3-1) Oct. 29, 2018, at Milwaukee: Bucks 124, Raptors 109 As both Giannis Antetokounmpo (concussion protocol) and Kawhi Leonard (load management) sat, Milwaukee used a balanced team effort to hand Toronto its first loss of the season. Ersan Ilyasova led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon each scored 17 points apiece and All-Star forward Khris Middleton shot 4-for-9 from beyond the arc to finish the game with 14 points and eight assists. Serge Ibaka led the shorthanded Raptors with 30 points (on 12-for-21 shooting) while Pascal Siakam finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the loss. Kyle Lowry shot 3-for-14 from the field for nine points but managed to dish out 15 assists and grab six rebounds. Dec. 9, 2018, at Toronto: Bucks 104, Raptors 99 With both Giannis and Kawhi active for the second meeting, it became a true battle for Eastern Conference supremacy. Milwaukee would again emerge victorious thanks to a balanced effort led by Antetokounmpo, who finished the night with 19 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. Six other Bucks would score at least nine points with Brook Lopez (19 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (18 points) providing the biggest boosts on the offensive end. Serge Ibaka again led the way for Toronto, this time with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 32 minutes of action. In his first meeting against the Bucks, Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Fred VanVleet scored 19 points off the bench and Pascal Siakam added 17 but Kyle Lowry was held scoreless in 34 minutes of action. Jan. 5, 2019, at Milwaukee: Raptors 123, Bucks 116 Despite getting just five points from its bench, Toronto earned its lone win over Milwaukee at Fiserv.Forum just five days into the new year despite a big performance from Antetokounmpo. Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 30 points apiece while Serge Ibaka continued his impressive play against the Bucks with 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists on the night. Danny Green scored 12 points in 40 minutes of action while Fred VanVleet finished with 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds as he started in place of Kyle Lowry. In a losing effort, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a monster stat line of 43 points and 18 rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Malcolm Brogdon (15 points), Eric Bledsoe (14 points), Khris Middleton (14 points), Sterling Brown (11 points) and George Hill (11 points) all made solid contributions which ultimately weren't enough. Jan. 31, 2019, at Toronto: Bucks 105, Raptors 92 In the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams, the Bucks again held the Raptors under 100 points in a road win that ended the team's 10-game win streak at Scotiabank Arena. Again, Milwaukee used a balanced offensive attack to defeat Toronto led by 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists from Giannis Antetkounmpo. Led by 18 points from Khris Middleton, six Bucks outside of Antetokounmpo (Wilson, Bledsoe, Lopez, Brogdon and Hill) finished the game scoring in double figures. Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 28 points (on 12-for-19 shooting) while Kawhi Leonard struggled from the field, scoring 16 points on 7-for-20 shooting. Serge Ibaka shot just 4-for-15 from the field but recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double and the trio of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell each scored 10 points apiece. Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Bucks won season series 2-1) Oct. 24, 2018, at Milwaukee: Bucks 123, 76ers 108 Just one week into the 2018-19 regular season, Milwaukee hosted a much-different Philadelphia roster that still featured Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz, Mike Muscala, Dario Saric and Landry Shamet. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee as he recorded a monster triple-double with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with three blocks and two assists. Khris Middleton (25 points), Brook Lopez (21 points) and Eric Bledsoe (18 points) also finished in double-figures as the Bucks cruised to a 15-point win in which they scored 49 points in the second quarter. The Sixers were led by 30 points, 19 rebounds and six assists from Joel Embiid while Ben Simmons recorded a triple-double of his own (14 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and JJ Redick scored 19 points and dished out six assists in a reserve role. Mar. 17, 2019, at Milwaukee: 76ers 130, Bucks 125 The Sixers wouldn't face the Bucks for nearly another five months as their second meeting of the season came in mid-March. It was an instant classic. Joel Embiid finished the game with 40 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and three steals and was only outdone by Antetokounmpo, who scored a career-high 52 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out seven assists on the game. The Sixers benefitted from 27 points from Jimmy Butler, 19 points from JJ Redick and 12 points from Tobias Harris, giving the Bucks a very different look than what was present early on in the season.<doc-sep>
They took slightly different paths, but the East's top two teams are now set to meet in the Conference Finals as many expected all season. It's the first time these two franchises will meet in the postseason since 2017. With both the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks taking care of business in the second round of the playoffs, the Eastern Conference Finals is now set. NBA.com is your destination for complete coverage of every series from now through the end of the NBA Finals. Series Schedule Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place in Milwaukee at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15. Game 1 - Wednesday, May 15 at Milwaukee, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: SN1/E/O/W/P Game 2 - Friday, May 17 at Milwaukee, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: TSN Network Game 3 - Sunday, May 19 at Toronto, Time: 7:00 p.m.; TV: SN1/E/O/W/P Game 4 - Tuesday, May 21 at Toronto, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: TSN Network Game 5 (if necessary) - Thursday, May 23 at Milwaukee, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: TSN Network Game 6 (if necessary) - Saturday, May 25 at Toronto, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: SN1/E/O/W/P Game 7 (if necessary) - Monday, May 27 at Milwaukee, Time: 8:30 p.m.; TV: TSN Network Recapping the Season Series Result: Bucks won 3-1 Best game: Jan. 5, 2019 - Raptors 123, Bucks 116 Best performance: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Jan. 5, 2019) - 43 points (16-25 FG), 18 rebounds, four assists and one steal The first meeting between the Raptors and Bucks this season came early when both teams were a perfect 6-0. Giannis Antetokounmpo (concussion) and Kawhi Leonard (rest) missed the game, and Milwaukee cruised to a 124-109 win behind a balanced effort that saw seven players score in double figures. Serge Ibaka led the Raptors in scoring that night with 30 points and Pascal Siakam chipped in with 22 points. The second meeting was much closer but the end result was the same. Behind a 19-point, 19-rebound double-double from Antetokounmpo, the Bucks defeated the Raptors in Toronto, 104-99. Kyle Lowry struggled in the loss, going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting from the field. The Raptors picked up their lone win against the Bucks on Jan. 5 in what turned out to be the best game between the two teams this season. Leonard and Siakam led the Raptors in scoring with 30 points each, but they got a scoring punch out of Ibaka (25), Danny Green (12) and Fred VanVleet (21), the latter of whom started in place of Lowry, who was dealing with a back injury. The five of them helped Toronto overcome 43 points, 18 rebounds and four assists from Antetokounmpo to beat the Bucks, 123-116. The Bucks got some revenge in the final game of the season, winning by a final score of 105-92 at the Scotiabank Arena. It was a team effort once again, as seven players scored in double figures, including D.J. Wilson (16) and George Hill (10) off the bench. Key Storyline: Can the Raptors contain Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Raptors will have their hands full trying to slow down Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 27.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in these playoffs. The Bucks have built a team around Antetokounmpo that plays perfectly to his strengths, surrounding him with shooters to give him the space he needs to attack the paint, where he led the league in scoring this season. Antetokounmpo is a matchup nightmare for every team because he's too big and strong for perimeter players to guard and too quick and athletic for big men to stay in front of. Double-teaming him is risky as well. Not only is Antetokounmpo a capable passer, the Bucks made and attempted the second-most 3-pointers in the league this season, trailing only the Houston Rockets. Every player on Milwaukee's roster is comfortable shooting 3-pointers, even Brook Lopez, who set the record for 3s made by a centre during the regular season. So who on the Raptors will take on the responsibility of defending Antetokounmpo? According to NBA.com, Siakam matched up with the MVP candidate the most this season, followed by Leonard, Ibaka and OG Anunoby.