3 reasons why Raptors slayed Bucks in Game 4

It was a "must-win" for the Toronto Raptors, and they played accordingly.

The Raptors bounced back from a 27-point shellacking in Game 3 with an inspired 87-76 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks to even the score at 2-2. The win gives home-court advantage back to the Raptors as the series becomes a best-of-three.

Here's how Toronto did it.

Dwane Casey's adjustment

It was apparent through the first three games of the series that the Raptors were outclassed athletically. The hyperactive Bucks consistently jumped out to early leads by overwhelming the Raptors' starting unit.

That led Casey to change his starting lineup, swapping out Jonas Valanciunas for Norman Powell. This unorthodox swap fixed a number of issues.

First, the small-ball alignment cut out any need for crossmatching. The Raptors struggled to find their defensive assignments in transition in Games 1-3 since their bigs were matched against Milwaukee's perimeter players. Downsizing allowed Serge Ibaka to check the center in Thon Maker, while four Raptors wings matched four wings for the Bucks.

Second, Valanciunas wasn't able to generate consistent offense against the Bucks and allowed Milwaukee to clog the lane on offense. The bulk of Toronto's attack revolves around getting their guards downhill towards the rim, but that wasn't possible with Milwaukee doubling the ball, then helping off Valanciunas at the rim. Powell's shooting ability chained another Bucks defender to the perimeter, which spaced the floor for the Raptors' slashers.

Third, Powell fueled the Raptors' transition game. Valanciunas is mostly a plodder and gets winded after a few sprints, whereas Powell is a terror in the open floor. Getting easy points in transition was vital in a low-scoring game.

All in all, the lineup change was a rousing success. Powell had 12 points on seven shots, Valanciunas dropped 12 points without missing a field goal, and the Raptors held their ground to start the first and third quarters.

Lockdown defense

Defending the Bucks comes down to cutting off Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Raptors are slowly starting to figure him out.

Antetokounmpo had 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting with seven turnovers and held the worst plus-minus of anyone in Game 4. How did the Raptors manage this? It goes back to the lineup change.

The Raptors were better equipped to defend Milwaukee. Valanciunas on the bench allowed Ibaka to play center and provide shot blocking and timely help defense. The switch cost the Raptors on the defensive glass, but Casey subbed in Valanciunas to steady that area when the game slowed to the large Lithuanian's pace in the fourth quarter.

Having four wings on the floor also allowed the Raptors to switch screen action that the Bucks rely upon to free Antetokounmpo in the paint. Taking Valanciunas off the court also allowed the Raptors to get back quicker in transition where Antetokounmpo does the bulk of his damage. Milwaukee only had 13 fast-break points and struggled to score in the half-court.

Down the stretch, the Raptors got a major boost from defensive specialist P.J. Tucker, who limited Antetokounmpo to only two points in the second half. Tucker bodied up whenever Antetokounmpo tried to drive into the paint, and was content to allow the Greek superstar to shoot jumpers.

DeRozan and Lowry showed up

It's never certain what the Raptors' all-star backcourt will come up with, but on Saturday, the combination of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry delivered to lift the offense.

DeRozan carried the Raptors early on. He battled through early foul trouble to score 15 of his 33 points in the second quarter. He attacked the pressure rather than shying away as he did in Game 3, plowing through shot-blockers and converting free throws after inviting contact. DeRozan also went back to his pullup jumper that he was reluctant to use earlier in the series.

Lowry was hesitant early on, deferring to DeRozan whenever possible in the first half but heated up in the second. The maligned point guard showed tremendous aggression off the side pick and roll, dribbling around the Bucks' baseline traps and getting to the cup against subpar defenders like Greg Monroe. Lowry was also able to connect on a few open threes.

Altogether, DeRozan and Lowry combined for 51 points and nine assists on 20-of-41 shooting, which is right in line with their regular-season averages.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)