November 5, 2026 at 6:53 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisBarnes and Raptors Carry Momentum Into Milwaukee Against Searching Bucks
Toronto's lone star on the floor gives it a slight edge over a 1-7 Bucks team still rebuilding its lineup.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
Toronto arrives in Milwaukee without Kawhi Leonard, who is out with left knee swelling and will miss at least three more games in a return-to-play process. The earliest he could be back is Nov. 11 against Boston. The Raptors are 2-3 without him, and Leonard only played two games, averaging 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in them. That puts a lot of weight on Scottie Barnes.
Barnes is the reason Toronto is not in a worse spot. He scored 22 points, 15 of them in the fourth quarter, to lead a 125-118 comeback win over the Clippers that snapped a two-game skid. He is also averaging 2.1 steals per game, so he affects both ends. Against a Bucks team that is struggling, a confident Barnes running the offense and creating turnovers is Toronto's clearest route to a win.
Milwaukee is 1-7 and has changed its starting five. Rookie Brayden Burries made his first start in the last game and put up 9 points and 9 rebounds, but he shot 4-of-15. He now starts with Jaquez, Kuzma, Turner and Herro, and Kam Jones is out. The rebounding was encouraging, but a rookie taking that many shots can swing a game either way, and the Bucks are still looking for a lineup that works.
Toronto's depth is a real concern. Nate Bittle and Malachi Smith are out, and Jakob Poeltl and Chucky Hepburn were listed as questionable on the most recent injury report. If Poeltl sits, the frontcourt gets thin. Still, Toronto has the more reliable star and more recent momentum, and that should be enough in a close game.
Prediction: Raptors 114, Bucks 109.