Alijah Martin’s career game helps short-handed Raptors beat the Bucks 121-107 in NBA Cup game

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points and RJ Barrett also had 27 as the short-handed Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 121-107 in an NBA Cup game Friday night.

Toronto outscored Milwaukee 70-47 in the second half to improve to 1-1 while the Bucks fell to 0-1 in NBA Cup group play. They’re part of East Group A along with Detroit, Orlando and Brooklyn.

The Raptors were playing without seven-time all-NBA selection Kawhi Leonard (knee), two-time All-Star Scottie Barnes (groin) or starting guard Immanuel Quickley (hamstring). Leonard missed his seventh straight game.

Martin picked up the slack by shooting 9 of 11 overall and 6 of 7 from 3-point range. He entered Friday having gone 6 of 27 on 3-point attempts in his career.

The 2025 second-round pick from Florida hadn’t scored more than nine points in any of his previous 30 career games. Martin had totaled 23 points in seven games this season before his breakthrough Friday.

Toronto’s Jamal Shead added a career-high 16 assists along with 10 points. Collin Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points each.

Milwaukee’s Tyler Hero had 23 points and 10 assists. Bucks rookie Brayden Burries had 21 points and 11 rebounds to set career highs in both categories.

The Bucks (1-8) are off to their slowest start since 1993-94, when they lost 10 of their first 11 games and went on to finish 20-62.

After trailing by as many as 15 points, Toronto (5-4) took its first lead on a Martin 3-pointer that made it 71-69 with 5:41 left in the third quarter. Tyler Herro put Milwaukee back in front by hitting his first 3-pointer of the night 22 seconds later.

Herro’s 3-pointer started a 10-2 run that put Milwaukee ahead 79-73, but Toronto scored the next nine points and pulled ahead for good on Allen Graves’ three-point play with 2:17 left in the third.

Up next

Raptors: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

Bucks: Host the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Steve Megargee, The Associated Press