

The Milwaukee Bucks' three-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Sunday after suffering a 122-94 blowout to the Toronto Raptors.
Before Sunday's blowout, the Bucks had been finding a groove in their play that's been inconsistent at best this season. They were moving the ball, connecting on matchups and even without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor, they were optimizing their offense.
But Sunday's game revealed some of the Bucks' old habits, chiefly among them in the loss being an inability to handle physicality from the opposition.
Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) reaches for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Benny Sieu-Imagn ImagesThe Raptors may not be known as a highly physical team themselves, but in the face of the Bucks Toronto ramped up the physical pressure with players like RJ Barrett, Jakob Boetl and Jamal Shead leading the way in that regard.
Stat-wise, the Bucks out-rebounded the Raptors 46-45, but the pressure that the Raptors introduced kept the Bucks from getting the right shot opportunities, or getting opportunities at all.

Milwaukee shot the ball nine less times than the Raptors did overall and 14 times less from three. On top of the fewer opportunities, the Bucks were far less efficient when it came to shooting than the Raptors were.
The Bucks have seemingly crumbled in the face of physical pressure often this season. One of their major weaknesses as a team has been their over-reliance on Antetokounmpo to facilitate the game, especially when it comes to physicality.
The rest of the roster needs to be able to withstand physicality without Antteokounmpo on the floor and to maintain their own game plan even if they're under pressure and based on how much pressure they faced against Toronto, AJ Green thinks that Sunday's loss can be a stepping off point for those adjustments.
"We knew they [Heat] we're going to be physical... It's not about what they do, it's about how we respond, how we handle it," Green said (via Bucks). "Slowing down to be us on our space, still execute and get what we want. I think this would be a great game to grow in that area and learn from it."
New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Saddiq Bey (41) dribbles against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesThe Bucks have talent on the roster that can build toward winning basketball, but that team needs to stick together and provide pressure of their own in order to do it.
Antetokounmpo's injuries have forced him off the floor often this season, and while that's not an ideal situation for Milwaukee to be in, it also represents a test for the rest of the team to step up and learn how to play a physical game of their own.

They may have failed that test against the Raptors, but as Green put it, Sunday's loss can be a lesson if the Bucks are willing to learn it.