3 Winners, 1 Loser in Raptors NBA Cup Win vs. Bucks

The shorthanded Toronto Raptors needed a big comeback after trailing as much as 15 points during their 121-107 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Playing without Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley forced others to step up, and the Raptors got the necessary contributions to earn their first win in NBA Cup group play. Here's a look at the winners and losers for the matchup.

Winner: RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Barnes, Quickley and Leonard on the sidelines, Barrett needed to be the team's offensive engine, and he was able to do that against the Bucks. While he had an inefficient 9-of-21 from the field, he scored a team-high 27 points, turning 11 free-throw attempts into nine points.

The Raptors were able to count on Barrett when they needed him most, and he was definitely part of the reason why Toronto left Milwaukee with the win.

Winner: Jamal Shead

Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Brayden Burries. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors have needed a consistent facilitator on offense all season long, and this arguably was the best performance in that regard. It came from Jamal Shead, who started for the injured Quickley. Shead had 16 assists with just one turnover in the win.

As a team, the Raptors had 28 assists on 44 made field goals, which is a step in the right direction. That's proof that the ball movement is sound, and Shead is definitely the top person to thank for that. Things could be better, but for the most part, Shead's 10-point, 16-assist double-double is a bright spot for the team.

Winner: Alijah Martin

Toronto Raptors guard Alijah Martin reacts after scoring a 3-point play in the fourth quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With three starters out, the Raptors definitely needed someone to break out for them, and that was second-year pro Alijah Martin tonight. In 31 minutes off the bench, Martin scored a career-high 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-7 from downtown.

Martin is building a case to be featured more prominently in the rotation moving forward. If he can be the team's top three-point shooter, that could go a long way for Toronto. The team only made 10 three-pointers, but Martin had 6 of them, showing how important he was to the game plan.

Loser: Ja'Kobe Walter

Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro drives against Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Normally, the Raptors' top shooter would be Ja'Kobe Walter, but he struggled mightily against the Bucks, making just 2 of 12 shots from the field. He didn't play as much as the other starters due to his struggles and Alijah Martin's strong performance, but Walter likely won't have too many bad performances like this in a short amount of time.

Walter will learn from this and bounce back when the team gets back home to Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors return to the court on Monday when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies in their first game back at home in November. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on the SN Plus app.

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