Milwaukee @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 27, 2017 ) Toronto 92, Milwaukee 89

The Toronto Raptors ran into a little speed bump on the road, but they've been unbeatable at home of late. The Raptors will go for their 12th consecutive home win when they ring in the New Year by hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Toronto won 12 of 13 before stumbling on the road last week with losses at Dallas and Oklahoma City, but the team had no such trouble in its return home as it blew past the Atlanta Hawks 111-98 on Friday. "It's always great to bounce back ... especially after two on the road, to come back home and get back to moving things and getting that feeling of winning back," Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "It sucks to lose. It sucks. It's good to come here at home to get a win." The Bucks are having an impact on the NBA rule book after winning a game at Oklahoma City on Friday in which star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped out of bounds before his winning dunk but drew no whistle, making the play not reviewable. "Coach trusted me having the ball late and making that play," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "I just tried to go and do what I do best, drive the ball to rim and try to make something happen."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Sportsnet One (Toronto)

ABOUT THE BUCKS (19-15): Milwaukee recovered from a 20-point deficit to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Thursday before winning at Oklahoma City in the second night of the back-to-back on Friday, and the two wins have the team feeling good about itself. "What we've got going on right here is special," Antetokounmpo, who recorded a double-double in each of the wins and is averaging 29.1 points and 10.4 rebounds, told reporters. "No matter what we go through, up and down, wins and losses, whatever we're going through, we're still one as a team. That's the special thing about this group right here." The win over Minnesota marked the beginning of a stretch seven straight against teams with winning records, including a pair of dates against Toronto.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (24-10): Toronto leads the Eastern Conference in scoring average (110.6 points) and is fourth in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game (31.9) up from 22nd (24.3) last season. The Raptors are making a concerted effort to get the whole team involved in 3-point shooting, and nine different players made at least one from beyond the arc in Friday's win, including center Jonas Valanciunas knocking down the sixth of his career. "It opens up driving lanes, it opens up back cuts, it opens up a lot of things," Toronto coach Dwane Casey told reporters of shooting 3-pointers. "When you make shots and make 3s, you really space out the defense. Everything's open if you do that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Raptors PF Serge Ibaka is expected to return after serving a one-game suspension for an altercation with a team employee.

2. Bucks PF John Henson matched a season high with four blocked shots on Friday and is 27-of-37 from the floor over his last five contests.

3. The teams are meeting for the first time since Toronto knocked Milwaukee out in six games in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

PREDICTION: Raptors 121, Bucks 113