Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 112-96 win over the Bucks in quickie form.
Box Score
HEADLINES
Offense comes alive: After struggling through Games 5 and 6, the Celtics found their rhythm once again on the offensive end. They scored 30 or more points in three of the four quarters in Game 7, countering every Bucks run with some timely scoring of their own. Al Horford and Terry Rozier both posted playoff career-highs with 26 points, while Jayson Tatum added 20 points to pace a three-headed offensive attack. Timely offense from the second unit (33 bench points on 48 percent shooting) kept the scoring rolling even as Jaylen Brown (hamstring) watched for the second half and the Bucks finally looked like the team they had been all regular season long: a subpar defensive unit. Semi Ojeleye did some sensational work to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo (22 points), which prevented the Bucks from keeping pace.
? Terry. Rozier. III. ? pic.twitter.com/cdyfUA3onN
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 29, 2018
Jaylen Brown suffers hamstring injury:
The shooting guard pulled up lame midway through the second quarter and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain by Celtics trainers. He did not return in the second half as Brad Stevens elected to play it cautiously with him and hold him out since lineups without him were playing well. “
It would’ve been the last game of the season,” Brown said after the win. “I didn’t want to do anything to hurt the team though, seeing that we had it. So they took care of it, I got the rest I needed, and I’ll try to get better for Philly.”
Bring on the Sixers:
The Celtics will have minimal time to rest with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals starting Monday night at the Garden against a well-rested Philadelphia team. The status of Brown’s hamstring injury will loom large of the start of the series, as the C’s will have their work cut out for them to take down a Philadelphia team that has won 20 of their last 21 games. Still, Boston has the defensive weapons to make life tough for the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in Aron Baynes, Al Horford and Semi Ojeleye. It won’t be a pretty series but don’t expect the Celtics to fold on the defensive end.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics opened up a 20-2 run in the final five minutes of the first quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a double-digit lead over the Bucks. The outburst forced the Bucks to play catch up for the final 36 minutes of the game and left Joe Prunty searching for veterans that could handle the pressure of a road Game 7. Milwaukee made a couple runs over the next two quarters but the C’s always had a counter punch waiting. They were able to play freely the entire night after giving themselves some breathing room early.
TWO UP
Al Horford:
The All-Star matched his playoff career high for points scored, posting 26 points on an incredibly efficient 13-of-17 shooting from the field. The standout performance capped a dominant series for the big man in which he averaged 18.1 points on 58.8 percent shooting. The Bucks threw four different defenders at him over the course of the series (John Henson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyler Zeller, Thon Maker) and none of them could slow him down consistently.
Not a bad way to start a Game 7 ? pic.twitter.com/tkXdJiPdFN
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 29, 2018
Terry Rozier:
The third-year guard set playoff career highs in several categories including points (26), field goals made (10) and 3-point field goals made (five). The 24-year-old was a different player at the TD Garden all series long as he outplayed Eric Bledsoe yet again in Game 7. He averaged 22 points at home in the series and shot 50 percent from the field and 3-point line.
TWO DOWN
Joe Prunty:
The interim head coach of the Bucks probably had his last night at the helm in Game 7. He didn’t make a strong case to keep the job in this series, throwing out four bench players with Antetokounmpo in the first quarter (giving up a 20-2 run in the process). Prunty also threw out some bizarre lineups in the second half with weak defenders (Jason Terry, Shabazz Muhammad) which allowed the Celtics to really keep things rolling on the offensive end throughout their big second half.
The Bucks bench:
The second unit was not ready for the moment all night long, combining to score just 12 points collectively on 5-of-15 shooting. They also turned the ball over four times as a group.
TOP PLAY
THAT HUSTLE THOUGH! pic.twitter.com/VSH6jghhtJ
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 29, 2018
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Brad Stevens wisely saves Jaylen Brown for Sixers:
The shooting guard left the game in the first half with a sore hamstring and was announced as available to return in the final minutes of the third quarter. With the Celtics rolling with a double-digit lead, Brad Stevens declined to roll the dice on his leading playoff scorer and kept him on the sidelines as the C’s maintained their lead throughout the final two quarters of the contest. Brown had struggled for the majority of the contest prior to the injury (1-of-5) and the 21-year-old was at risk of further injury if he took the floor. By avoiding the temptation to bring him back, the odds likely improve that Brown will be ready to go at some point during the Sixers series and they’ll desperately need him there if they want to pull off the upset.
Terry Rozier just earned himself more money:
The point guard just outclassed a point guard making nearly 400 percent more than him for the better part of this seven-game series. While Horford did a lot of offensive work early, it was Rozier that put the Bucks away in the second half with 19 of his 26 points coming after intermission. His mix of elite 3-point shooting (5-of-8 from deep) and improved distribution skills (playoff-high nine assists) continues to put his stock on the rise in the eyes of the Celtics front office and the league. The payday won’t be coming for another year, but the C’s will be tempted to maximize his value in one way or another this offseason due to this extended breakout over the past couple months.