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The Toronto Raptors fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 97-83, in Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup on Saturday. It’s the fourth season in a row the Raptors have surrendered the opening game of the postseason.
The Raptors are now 1-11 all-time in playoff Game 1s and have lost each of their last nine, including the first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Their only Game 1 victory was in the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadephia 76ers, a series they lost in seven games. Six of those 10 Game 1 losses came on their home court.
In the Dwane Casey era, Toronto has surrendered first-round Game 1s to the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and now the Bucks. The Raptors are 1-2 in those series after dropping the first game, falling to the Nets in seven before getting swept by the Wizards in 2015.
Toronto made it to the conference finals last season despite dropping the opening game to Indiana.
It’s hard to put a finger on why the Raptors continue to lose their opening games. Toronto has held home-court in Game 1 of the first round in each of the last four years, yet they continue to blow that advantage. The staples of that roster — Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Patterson and Jonas Valanciunas — have remained in tact, but the supporting cast has improved over the years.
It’s an inexcusable instance that has plagued an otherwise successful Raptors team in recent seasons — one expected to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
Lowry’s play hasn’t helped.
Lowry scored just four points on two-of-11 shooting in the Raptors’ Game 1 loss on Saturday. Those shooting woes aren’t unique to this season.
The Raptors’ All-Star guard is averaging just 13.3 points in the first round of the playoffs in the past two seasons. Lowry averaged 13.9 points on 17 percent three-point shooting in Toronto’s first-round series against Indiana last season.
In all, he has the worst playoff field goal percentage in the playoffs (37.9 percent) among all active players, with DeRozan (39.1 percent) not too far behind, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver.