Former Raptor's Miscues Haunt Bucks in Season-Ending Loss

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Gary Trent Jr. nearly saved Milwaukee’s season until it slipped through his fingers.
The former Toronto Raptors guard delivered when the Bucks needed him most in Game 5, scoring 33 points and hitting four threes in overtime. It should have been enough. But with the game on the line in the final seconds, two costly mistakes from Trent sealed Milwaukee’s fate.
First, he threw an errant inbounds pass down the sideline that led to a Pacers steal and a quick three-point play for Tyrese Haliburton. Then, with the Bucks up by one, Trent mishandled a pass from AJ Green, letting the ball slip through his hands and out of bounds. Indiana capitalized with a Haliburton layup that ended the series.
It spoiled an otherwise outstanding performance from Trent, who knocked down eight threes and shot 12-for-25 in 48 minutes. He now heads into unrestricted free agency after playing last season on a veteran minimum deal, looking to secure a bigger, longer-term contract.
Pascal Siakam had a quiet night with 10 points and four rebounds in 41 minutes. Canadians Andrew Nembhard added 15 points for the Pacers, while Bennedict Mathurin chipped in five off the bench.
Murray Catches Fire, Clippers Fall Despite Kawhi and Powell
Canadian guard Jamal Murray lit up Game 5 for the Denver Nuggets, scoring 43 points on 17-of-26 shooting, including 8-for-14 from deep, to lift Denver to a 131-115 win over the LA Clippers. It was Murray’s most explosive playoff outing since the 2020 bubble and puts the Nuggets up 3-2 in the series.
Former Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell did their part to keep the Clippers competitive. Leonard racked up 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists in 37 minutes, while Powell added 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting. But the Clippers had no answer for Murray, who seemingly scored at will and punctuated the night with six straight points in a late 11-0 Denver run that shut the door.
Anunoby Steady, Schröder Provides a Spark as Pistons Stay Alive
OG Anunoby turned in a strong all-around performance in Game 5, finishing with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and knocking down 3-of-4 from deep in the Knicks’ 106-103 loss to Detroit. The former Raptors forward added eight rebounds and played his usual stout defense, holding Cade Cunningham to just five points on 2-for-5 shooting in nearly eight minutes of direct matchup time, per NBA tracking data.
For Detroit, Dennis Schröder provided a much-needed spark off the Pistons bench. The former Raptors guard scored 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting in 22 minutes. He also chipped in three assists and a steal as the Pistons forced a Game 6 back home, now trailing the series 3-2.
Further Reading

Aaron Rose is a Toronto-based reporter covering the Toronto Raptors since 2020. Previously, Aaron worked for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram.
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