MILWAUKEE -- Everything you need to know about the Bucks beating the Celtics 98-97 with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics lose heartbreaker after Kyrie misses game-winner: The first game after the All-Star break was not pretty for both sides for the better part of three quarters, but it turned into a thriller late as the Celtics rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game up in the final minute. After trading baskets with Milwaukee down the stretch, the Celtics had a chance for the win, trailing by one with 3.5 seconds remaining. After a no-call away from the ball didn’t go Boston’s way (Marcus Morris appeared to be held) Kyrie Irving took a tough lefty runner in the lane that fell short, which capped off a tough shooting night for him (9-of-27 from the field). He did finish with a team-high 22 points (20 coming in the second half) while Al Horford was superb with 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in the defeat. Jayson Tatum added big shots down the stretch with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo (game-high 30 points). Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon also chipped in with 15 points, including several big buckets down the stretch as the Bucks opened up 2-1 season series lead over Boston.
Defense hangs tough amid worst shooting night of the season:
Amazingly, the Celtics only lost this game by one point despite having their worst shooting night of the year (38.2 percent) from the field and only getting to the free throw line six times. They were kept in the game thanks to some terrific defense (forcing 15 turnovers) and timely offensive rebounding (seven for Horford). The shooting woes were particularly dramatic in the backcourt though as Irving, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier were a combined 13-of-43 from the field on the night, which prevented Boston from scoring more than 25 points in any of the first three quarters. The Celtics have not won in Milwaukee for four straight games dating back to last year’s postseason and an inability to hit open shots consistently is a big reason why. This is worrisome considering the fact that the Celtics will need to win in Milwaukee to get to the NBA Finals in all likelihood, but this was an admirable effort to stay competitive despite the ugly offense.
TURNING POINT
Middleton knocked down the eventual game-winning 3-point shot with 33 seconds remaining in regulation on a busted rotation by the Celtics defense. Two players (Morris and Tatum) ran at Brook Lopez in the corner, forcing an additional rotation by Smart off his man Middleton to Brogdon. Brogdon made the extra pass and Middleton knocked down the wide open 3.
TWO UP
Al Horford:
The big man struggled with his shooting touch early on, but he did a little bit of everything in the first half, leading the team in points (10), rebounds (nine), assists (four), steals (two) and blocks (two). He flirted with a career-high, with six offensive rebounds in the first half as well, while holding his own in switches against the Bucks guards. His fingerprints were all over this one in all aspects of the game as he posted a season-high 17 rebounds to go with 21 points, five assists, three blocks and two steals.
Celtics' halfcourt defense:
The Celtics frustrated the Bucks in the halfcourt all night long, rotating well into passing lines while making life difficult with good help at the rim against bigger players. The Bucks shot just 39 percent from the field over the first three quarters and coughed up 13 turnovers, giving the C’s a chance to stay in the game despite a horrific shooting night from their starting backcourt. A late-game breakdown on the Middleton 3 proved costly but the defensive intensity that had been lacking at various points of the year was there all night long in this matchup, a promising sign.
TWO DOWN
Kyrie Irving in the first half:
The Celtics were lucky to still be in this one at halftime with one of the worst halves of the season from the point guard. He struggled with his shot (1-of-10 from the field) and failed to do much playmaking either (one assist) as he struggled against the Bucks’ length at the rim while failing to get in rhythm with his jumpers.
Terry Rozier:
The point guard’s shooting woes in Milwaukee continue. He was just 2-of-8 from the field in 19 minutes and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. Dating back to last year’s first-round series, Rozier has shot just 7-of-31 from 3-point range in Milwaukee over this last four games. The vast majority of those attempts are wide open looks as well. The C’s are going to need him to start knocking down a higher percentage of those if they want to beat this team in the postseason.
TOP PLAY
Irving’s only make of the first half was probably his toughest shot
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
I’m a big fan of Marcus Smart guarding Khris Middleton:
The Bucks' swingman got off to a slow start in this one and that was in large part due to the defense of Smart. Middleton loves to seek out switches and putting Smart on him allows him to fight through screens and eliminate more of those ideal matchups for the sharpshooter. It’s a hidden advantage of moving Smart into the starting five and should be a weapon in the postseason if these two matchups as long as Jayson Tatum is able to hold his own against Brogdon. Limiting him to just 5-of-14 shooting all night was a big byproduct of Smart’s defensive intensity and kept one of Milwaukee’s biggest weapons from taking over the game, something that had occurred often in last year’s playoff series.
Celtics should feel relatively good about themselves after this one, despite the loss:
For the Celtics to stay competitive with the Bucks on a night that Irving plays arguably his worst half of the season is a promising sign for this group. Tatum rose to the occasion in the first quarter with some big buckets while Horford played some of his best basketball of the year despite the subpar shooting night (8-of-21). A few defensive mistakes hurt late but a healthy Gordon Hayward with his terrific defensive awareness should help eliminate some of those if he keeps turning the corner once he’s back healthy from a foot injury. Any matchup between these two teams this season will be an absolute slugfest and the Bucks had all of their pieces healthy on Thursday night. The Celtics did not and that shouldn’t be an excuse for the loss, but it should help them feel better about their chances come May, especially since the defense was so good with Aron Baynes in the fold.
