Marc Gasol Takes 'Full Responsibility' for Raptors' Game 2 Loss vs. Bucks
Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol accepted blame for failing to set the tone early in the team's 125-103 loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night.
"The beginning [of the game] set us in a really bad spot," Gasol told reporters after Toronto went down 0-2 in the series. "We couldn't get a grip of the game early on, and I take full responsibility for that."
He added, "I played really bad, and that set the tone."
Gasol made just one of his nine shots and didn't get to the free-throw line. He finished with two points, five rebounds, one assists and one block in 19 minutes.
Toronto fell behind by 14 points after the first quarter and could never recover despite a game-high 31 points from Kawhi Leonard.
"If we want to do anything or be a championship team, we gotta play through adversity," Leonard told reporters. "And it's a challenge now, to come home, Game 3, and try to get a win."
Gasol's struggles carried over from Game 1, when he connected on only two of his 11 attempts from the field across 40 minutes in a 108-100 loss. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo recorded 30 points to pace the Bucks in Game 2 on the same day he was named an MVP finalist.
Milwaukee's bench also played a key role in the win. It outscored Toronto's reserves 54-39 in Friday's game, with Ersan Ilyasova contributing 17 points.
The Eastern Conference Finals resume Sunday night when the series shifts to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto as the Raptors attempt to avoid a likely insurmountable 3-0 hole.
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