Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 113-107 win over the Bucks in quickie form.
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics survive overtime thriller: The Celtics seemingly had this game wrapped up in the closing seconds of regulation, but a Khris Middleton buzzer beater forced them to work an extra five minutes for the crucial win. Terry Rozier scored eight of Boston’s 14 points in the overtime period, while Jayson Tatum knocked down a crucial layup with over a minute remaining. Boston got enough stops defensively (Bucks shot 25 percent) and hit enough free throws down the stretch (7-of-8 in overtime) to help pull out a critical Game 1 win.
CLUTCH ROOK pic.twitter.com/0fLd9M2SHP
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) April 15, 2018
Action-packed final minute of regulation: Malcolm Brogdon, Terry Rozier
and
Khris Middleton
all drilled game-tying or go-ahead 3-point shots in the final 20 seconds of regulation, none bigger than Middleton’s prayer with 0.5 seconds on the clock. The prayer from the right sideline sent the game to overtime, giving Milwaukee a second life after Rozier seemingly hit the game-clincher one second earlier on a vicious step-back move against Eric Bledsoe.
The Prez comes up CLUTCH! pic.twitter.com/HIF1252bdM
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 15, 2018
TERRY ROZIER FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/mjKYgIqbFh
— Ross (@LegionHoopsRoss) April 15, 2018
Khris Middleton ties it at the buzzer. pic.twitter.com/BPVFhRfoQ6
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 15, 2018
Offense by committee:
With a pair of All-Stars watching from the sidelines, the C’s got plenty of big efforts across their rotation in the win.
Marcus Morris, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Terry Rozier
Jayson Tatum
all crossed the 19-point barrier, which allowed for a balanced scoring attack for the hosts in the face of the Bucks two-headed monster of Giannis Antetokounmpo (35 points) and Khris Middleton (31 points). Horford led the way with a game-high 24 points for the Celtics, and set a new career-high with 13 free throws made, including several pivotal freebies in the closing minute.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics thought they had the game won in the final seconds after Terry Rozier drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.5 left in regulation. After a Bucks timeout, Milwaukee struggled to get the ball in but managed to find Khris Middleton on the sideline for a 35-foot prayer. He buried it at the buzzer, pushing the game to overtime.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum:
The rookie made a terrific first impression in his postseason debut, opening up the game with eight points in the first eight minutes on a mix of strong takes to the rim and contested midrange shots. After an ugly stretch midway through the game in which he missed seven straight shots, he came up clutch continuously down the stretch, particularly in overtime with a huge block on Brogdon in a two-point game. He finished with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) and gave the Celtics an elite-level scorer they desperately needed in late-game situations.
Al Horford:
The All-Star lifted his game to another level during the postseason last year and Game 1 was a positive sign that he’ll be able to return to that perch. He played phenomenal defense on Antetokounmpo for the better part of his 44 minutes on the floor and managed to stuff the stat sheet across the board with 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. After making all of his three shots in the first half, he stepped up his offense in the second half, scoring 16 of his 24 points after intermission.
TWO DOWN
Shane Larkin in the first half:
The reserve point guard had a miserable first-half stint in which he turned the ball over four times in just eight minutes. The miscues set the stage for the Bucks to get their offensive momentum going with some easy transition opportunities as Larkin tried to thread the needle foolishly with a few passes in the pick-and-roll that were picked off.
Aron Baynes on offense:
The veteran center had seen a bit of a resurgence in the last few weeks on the offensive end, but that quickly vanished against the Bucks. Baynes tried to take advantage of some midrange looks but missed a pair early. He also bricked a dunk and was blocked by Tony Snell on a dish in the paint. The C’s need the center out there for his interior defense but he needs to give them something on the offensive end if the Bucks are going to leave him open.
TOP PLAY
Jayson Tatum throws down the hammer on the fast break! pic.twitter.com/VI478i2l9G
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 15, 2018
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Celtics aren’t going to be able to rest Al Horford much in this series:
The days of babying the veteran’s minutes are over. With the Bucks riding Antetokounmpo for 40-plus minutes per game in this series, the C’s simply don’t have the depth to withstand his absence on both ends of the floor for significant stretches. At age 32, he clearly can’t be expected to have the stamina to play to that level, but Stevens is going to have to straddle the fence all series long between riding Horford for 40 minutes and making sure he doesn’t get worn out. It’s going to be a tough balancing act for the head coach but he must manage the situation closely to ensure the C’s don’t fall apart in stretches without him on the floor, like we saw in the first half of the second quarter.
Khris Middleton is going to be a problem all series long for Boston:
The Greek Freak got most of the headlines and attention on the floor in Game 1, but the play of Middleton was just as big of an issue for Boston. He underperformed during the regular season, but he’s the best pure shooter in the Bucks lineup and has the length and postup skills to punish smaller guards on switches, which happened repeatedly against Shane Larkin and Terry Rozier. With the rest of Milwaukee’s secondary options not showing much aggression against the C’s in the halfcourt, Brad Stevens will need to find ways to keep Middleton uncomfortable as the series progresses.
