Milwaukee rookie Brayden Burries posted a career-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, but the Raptors — missing Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley — overran the Bucks 121-107 at Fiserv Forum on Nov. 6 in the NBA Cup opener for East Group A. The loss was Milwaukee’s fifth straight, dropping the Bucks to 1-8.
The number that decides this story isn’t Burries’ line. It’s the 20 turnovers and 28 fouls Milwaukee committed — 16 fouls and 11 turnovers in the first half alone, followed by 12 more fouls and nine more giveaways after the break. Against a Toronto side playing without two forwards, those possessions were the entire margin.
“I think first half we had way more energy than the second half,” Burries said, adding that he felt partly responsible for not tagging up on second-half rebounds. “Offensively, we just weren’t hitting shots. We got good looks just gotta execute a little bit better.”
Burries’ 21 came in a half — then the glass went quiet
Burries set his career high before halftime: 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds, four of them offensive. He finished 8-of-14 from the field with his first career double-double, injected into the starting lineup against Minnesota and giving the Bucks a different energy in his starts.
But the tape tells a different story after halftime. Burries scored six points over the final two quarters and, by his own account, stopped crashing the boards. Milwaukee grabbed 17 rebounds in the first quarter alone — nine offensive — and 24 in the first half, then was held to five offensive rebounds over the final three quarters. Toronto finished with 42 rebounds to Milwaukee’s 37.
The possession game Jenkins warned about
Taylor Jenkins had foreshadowed it hours earlier in the Jim Paschke Interview Room. “The possessions game, whoever comes out on top of that is gonna have a great chance to win the game tonight,” he said pregame on Nov. 6. His team lost that game by double digits and was outshot by 11 points. “We made them shoot threes, they missed them, we didn’t get hits,” Jenkins said afterward. “We did a great job in the first half, the second half it hurt us.”
The shooting splits flip-flopped with the halves. Milwaukee went 4-of-17 from three in the first half while building a 14-point lead, then 6-of-23 overall from deep and 13-of-37 from the field in the second half. Toronto shot 54% from the field and 36.4% from three after the break. The third quarter alone was a 3-of-11 Milwaukee night from beyond the arc, a frame Toronto won by 11.
Alijah Martin came off the bench with 27 points to lead Toronto, with R.J. Barrett adding 27 as the Raptors improved to 5-4. Toronto also sealed Milwaukee off the offensive glass in that third quarter, limiting second-chance chances almost entirely.
Herro’s slow starts keep costing Milwaukee first quarters
Tyler Herro has not scored a first-quarter point in three straight games. He finished the first half against Toronto with six points but dished seven assists, then came alive with 17 in the second half to finish with 23 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on 7-of-16 shooting.
Since joining Milwaukee, Herro has averaged 22.3 points on 46% from the field and 42.6% from three through eight games — right on his pre-trade production of 21.4 points on 45.5% shooting. The problem is the opening frame, and Burries’ early scoring cushion couldn’t survive the bench units without it.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Burries’ starting role is producing double-doubles; his rebounding floor (11 boards, four offensive) makes him a priority add in deeper leagues while the starting gig holds.
- Herro’s first-quarter scoring drought is a three-game pattern, but his 10-assist night signals expanding playmaking usage — a boost for his assist-based value even when his shot is cold.
- Milwaukee’s 1-8 start and five-game skid depresses any Bucks futures; Toronto winning short-handed without Leonard, Barnes or Quickley is a small positive signal for Raptors group-play pricing in East Group A.
| Split | Milwaukee | Toronto |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 107 | 121 |
| Turnovers | 20 | — |
| Fouls | 28 | — |
| Total rebounds | 37 | 42 |
Where the numbers collide
The reports frame the collapse differently. One led with discipline: 28 fouls, 20 turnovers, undisciplined basketball in the second half. Another framed it as the possession game — turnovers, an 11-point shooting deficit, and the offensive glass drying up after halftime. Both are true; together they describe a team losing the same game three different ways.
The macro backdrop is unavoidable. This is a roster that exited the Giannis Antetokounmpo era — Herro referenced “the trade” when assessing the rebuild — and the 1-8 record sits against Herro’s claim that Milwaukee should have won five of its nine games. “It’s process,” Herro said. “This isn’t a thing that happens overnight. … I think we’ve played nine games, we should’ve won five of ’em.”
The strongest remaining fact may be this: Milwaukee led for 67% of the game, built a 14-point lead and produced one of its most productive halves of the season — 60 first-half points — and still lost by 14. Burries’ next start, and whether the rebounding he acknowledged abandoning in the second half returns, is the next data point on the rookie’s ledger.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
