TORONTO - Carlos Delfino scored 25 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks past the Toronto Raptors 105-99 on Wednesday with the perimeter play of both teams dominating the game.
Delfino had two three-pointers and 11 points in the fourth quarter against his former team as Milwaukee (11-14) snapped a three-game losing skid.
Dwight Gooden started at centre and scored 20, Stephen Jackson added 17 and Mike Dunleavy came off the bench to score 18 points.
Jose Calderon had nine points and 15 assists for Toronto (8-19), while DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and pulled down four rebounds.
The Raptors have now lost three in a row.
Milwaukee has won seven of its last eight meetings with the Raptors, including the last three in Toronto.
Jerryd Bayless started at shooting guard for the Raptors, scoring six points in 25 minutes of play. That move allowed DeRozan to start at small forward, with Calderon at point.
Bayless did not return after suffering a sore left ankle in the third. He missed 13 games in January after spraining the same ankle.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey opted for a smaller starting lineup against the Bucks. That decision allowed the guards and small forwards on both teams to set the pace.
The Raptors fouled Milwaukee throughout the fourth, hoping that Delfino's hand would cool off. Unfortunately for Toronto, the gambit failed as the Bucks proved to be clutch and the Raptors came up short on several of their own field-goal attempts.
James Johnson had an emphatic one-handed slam dunk with just over four minutes left in the third to bring the crowd to its feet and tie the game 69-69. But Dunleavy responded with a three-pointer that cooled off the Toronto fans.
The Raptors struggled with turnovers in the third, giving up the ball four times. That offensive futility allowed Milwaukee to take a 76-73 lead after three quarters.
Although Bayless played seven minutes in the third, nagging ankle pain kept him out of the fourth. Leandro Barbosa took his place at guard.
The Bucks put Dunleavy on the floor in the second quarter. He responded by racking up 16 points, including three three-pointers, in the quarter. Dunleavy also pulled down three rebounds in the period.
Jackson came in with Dunleavy and added eight points in the second as Milwaukee took a 58-51 lead.
The Raptors' offence revolved around the perimeter with Calderon, Bayless and DeRozan getting most of Toronto's touches. Calderon had five points, Bayless four and DeRozan eight on a combined 15 field-goal attempts in the first 12 minutes of play.
The up-tempo play from the trio gave Toronto a season high in first quarter points and a 29-28 lead. The Raptors hadn't led at the end of the first quarter since their 95-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 13.
Notes: Forward Andrea Bargnani missed another game with a strained left calf muscle. The Raptors leading scorer has missed 13 of Toronto's last 15 games. ... Toronto centre Solomon Alabi was also inactive. ... Milwaukee centre Andrew Bogut is still out with a left ankle fracture, while forward Ersan Ilyasova was a last-minute scratch with back spasms. ... The loss against the Bucks was the first in a seven-game homestand for the Raptors. That stretch will tie a franchise record for most consecutive games in Toronto. ... Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd sat courtside near Toronto's baseline.
