The window of opportunity is open for Celtics to seize command in Game 2

MILWAUKEE -- The Celtics have already taken a big step towards the Eastern Conference Finals by stealing Game 1 and home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series against the Bucks. Many teams would let their guard down a little bit with the pressure off heading into Game 2 on the road with a 1-0 advantage as a lower-seeded team, but the veterans within this group are showing off a greedy mindset.

“It’s just one game, so we want to try to come out of Milwaukee with two wins, not just one,” Gordon Hayward said.

That mindset is critical as the Celtics stand to face an imposing counterpunch against the NBA’s best team after they embarrassed them in Game 1. The Bucks will undoubtedly play better in this matchup but the question remains will they improve enough for it to matter.

The window of opportunity is at an all-time high for the Celtics in this matchup right now simply due to the personnel available. Malcolm Brogdon has been ruled out for Game 2 but his absence does not sound like it will last much longer beyond that.

“He continues to get better," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "No setback as we go day-to-day. He went longer and harder today, so I think we’re all hopeful he comes in tomorrow feeling good. He looks a lot like Malcolm that we’ve known.

“He’s very keen. … I think he and I are very much on the same page. He’s very much on the same page with the medical. We’ll see how these four, five days – now we’re three or four into them – and evaluate him at that point and assess what the next step is.”

Brogdon averaged 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games against the Celtics in the regular season and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range during the regular season. His mix of shooting and speed has given the Celtics wings problems (Tatum, Brown) defensively in the past and has forced the Bucks to rely on inexperienced guards like Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton for big roles in Game 1. Neither was up to the task as the Celtics designed their defense to make those guys playmakers. That duo and Eric Bledsoe combined to shoot 4-of-22 in Game 1 and will be forced into being high volume shooters again in Game 2 if the Celtics defense has their way.

Once Brogdon returns in Game 3, the calculus on defense begins to change for Boston. That’s one less shooter they can help comfortably off of and another ballhandler that can create opportunities in space. It’s uncertain just how good Brogdon will look after a six-week layoff following tearing his plantar fasciitis but it’s hard to imagine it will be much worse than what we saw from the Bucks backcourt personnel in the last couple of games.

The other opportunity the Celtics should have on their side in Game 2 is scheming. Budenholtzer is a traditional head coach and seems intent on not overreacting to the Game 1 drubbing after having the best regular season record in the NBA.

"We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year,” Giannis Anteotokunmpo said. “I think there should be no change at all. Why should there be a change after a game that we lost?

"We should not be the team that makes the adjustment even though we lost the first game. We’re just going to come out and play our hardest, see how Game 2 goes. If it doesn’t go well for us, then you can think about adjusting. But right now, we’re not adjusting nothing. We’re just going to be us.”

That type of mentality should play right into the Celtics hands on Tuesday night. The Bucks are confident in their ability but that doesn’t change the fact that the Celtics are just a nightmare matchup for them and their defensive scheme at several positions. If the Bucks remain committed to playing bigs who stretch the floor (Lopez, Mirotic, Ilyasova) the Celtics are going to keep running the pick-and-pop into the ground. A more athletic big (DJ Wilson) could be introduced into the fold, but his playoff inexperience makes him a big question mark. Budenholzer likes veterans he can trust so the odds remain that he rolls with his seasoned shooters to try to maximize the Bucks offense.

This strategy will play into the Celtics' hands though as they rely on a pretty tight seven-man rotation with Aron Baynes and Semi Ojeleye getting spot minutes on the Bucks bigs. The Celtics top talent exploited all of the Bucks holes on defense in Game 1 and no one really went above and beyond their capabilities in doing so. Guys hit open shots because they were wide open and the Celtics have good shooters at all five positions. Those attempts will be there all series long if the visitors play within themselves. If the Bucks do end up trying to switch more, Irving will get a chance to isolate against the likes of Lopez or Mirotic and that’s not going to end well for Milwaukee either.

The Celtics have done well during the first five games of the postseason playing within themselves and the Bucks don’t have the answer in personnel just yet to keep up with their advantage in personnel. Milwaukee will feel the pressure tonight with their season ultimately on the line in this game and will come out with a lot more effort than we saw in the opener. If the Celtics can absorb that punch, they remain in a great position to win this game on paper. Everyone always anticipated this preseason that the Celtics would be favored in this matchup and with all of Boston’s talent playing to their roles now, the window is open for the Celtics to put themselves in a commanding position before heading back to Boston.

“The game boils down to transition defense, rebounding, doing what you do as well as you can,” Brad Stevens said, “Because you’re not going to change your whole way of playing in one day, it’s just not going to happen. But there are little things and Bud’s super creative and their team is super prideful and very talented. So there will be little things but, at the end of the day, it really does come down to both teams, who plays better.”