Giannis Says Game 6 Loss vs. Raptors 'Obviously' on His Mind in Bucks Win

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the Toronto Raptors with 19 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in a 108-97 road win on Tuesday.  

After the game, he told reporters that Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, which Toronto won 100-94 over Milwaukee to advance to the NBA Finals, was on his mind as he led the Bucks to victory.

Antetokounmpo struggled offensively that night with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting against the eventual NBA champions, but he led a dominant showing Tuesday to give the Bucks an NBA-best 50-8 record.

Milwaukee is in the driver's seat to avenge last year's postseason defeat and make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.

Per Caesars Palace, Milwaukee is a -220 (bet $220 to win $100) favorite to take the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Raps are all second at +600.

That's largely because of Antetokounmpo, who is a near shoo-in to take home his second straight MVP.

However, the Bucks' rotation is arguably deeper than last year's with new additions such as center Robin Lopez and shooting guards Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews all making contributions. Second-year pro Donte DiVincenzo has also improved significantly, averaging 9.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting.

Despite Tuesday's loss, the Raptors are still one of the primary contenders standing in the Bucks' path to an NBA Finals berth.

They don't have two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard anymore, but a couple of All-Stars (Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam) lead a team that's top-eight in both offensive and defensive efficiency, per ESPN.

Toronto is currently 42-16 and in second place by eight games behind the East-leading Bucks. The two teams will play each other in a home-and-home set on Wednesday, April 1 and Friday, April 3 to close out their regular-season series.