Everything you need to know about the Bucks beating the Celtics 113-101 with BSJ Insight and Analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Same old third quarter story: Another loss on account of a disastrous third quarter struck the Celtics again in a pivotal Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. George Hill (15 points) and Pat Connaughton (nine points, 10 rebounds) keyed a 13-1 third quarter run yet again at the TD Garden, stretching out the Bucks lead to double digits while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton rested with foul trouble, paving the way for a 113-101 victory. The Celtics were never able to overcome the big third quarter, getting no closer than five points in the fourth quarter as Kyrie Irving (7-of-22, 23 points, 10 assists) suffered through his third straight miserable shooting performance as Boston’s bench was dreadful (seven points on 3-of-17 shooting) for the second straight game. The Celtics shot just 22 percent from 3-point range and 37.8 percent from the field, the second-worst shooting performance of their season. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a game-high 37 points and 16 rebounds in the win to help Milwaukee take a commanding 3-1 series lead as they head back to Milwaukee for Game 5.
Max players fall short for the Celtics: With role players like Marcus Morris (18 points, 14 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (16 points) doing their fair share to keep Boston in the game, the dismal offensive performance came down to a lack of production from the C's highest priced players. Irving continued his horrific series since Game 1 with his third straight performance of 35 percent or less shooting, while Gordon Hayward remained passive and ineffective (two points, three rebounds) in an uneventful 26 minutes. Al Horford (20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) was solid offensively but appeared to run out of gas on the defensive end as the Bucks cruised to 66 points in the second half to take command.
A deep hole to climb out of: Out of 250 teams that have gone up 3-1 in a best-of-seven series, only 12 have managed to come back from that deficit. Irving was on one of those teams during the 2016 NBA Finals but the task is much tougher here without LeBron James by his side. Milwaukee will head home with all the momentum following three straight wins against a Celtics team that has cracked repeatedly all series at the first sign of distress in the third quarter of these games. In front of a hostile Milwaukee crowd, even pushing the series to six games now appears to be a long shot for Boston as a disappointing regular season leaves a mark on the postseason.
TURNING POINT
The Bucks' second unit took command yet again in the closing moments of the third quarter as George Hill keyed an 13-1 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point lead while the entire Bucks starting five outside of Brook Lopez rested on the bench. The Celtics failed to recover over the final 12 minutes against a rested Antetokounmpo, who could not be stopped in the fourth quarter (17 points in the frame).
ONE UP
Marcus Morris: The veteran forward was one of the few Celtics that came to play on a night where offense was hard to come by for Boston. Morris posted a series high with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while also getting to the free throw line a game-high 11 times. With Brad Stevens leaning on his starters for big minutes, Morris (34) probably could have used a few more.
TWO DOWN
Gordon Hayward: The swingman delivered his third consecutive scoring dud of the series, tallying just two points in 26 minutes on 1-of-5 shooting. The more glaring issue though was a lack of production across the box score as Hayward grabbed just three rebounds and dished out zero assists, getting outplayed by the Bucks bench yet again. He has scored just 17 total points in the past three games.
Irving: The point guard vowed that fans would not see another 8-of-22 night after Game 3 but his production was just as lackluster in Game 4. He went 7-of-22 from the field and missed six of seven 3-point attempts, keeping him ice cold from downtown all series. Over the past three games, Irving is shooting a dreadful 30 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3-point range despite attempting 20.7 shots per game.
TOP PLAY
Tatum with the ? and Brown with the ? pic.twitter.com/qoqSLBsyQs
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 6, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Brad Stevens rode the wrong horses in this one: The Celtics were due for a shooting stinker and it's tough to overcome one like this against the NBA's best team. However, with his season on the line in the second half, Stevens made some lackluster choices. The three most efficient scorers the Celtics had all night were Morris, Brown and Tatum and all three were on the bench when the Bucks bench made their 13-1 game-changing run. Marcus Smart did not have it from jump street (1-of-7 from 3) which is not a knock on him but just an indicator of respected rust. Terry Rozier has been bad all year yet found himself on the floor yet again with the season on the line, while Hayward was given 26 minutes on a night he clearly didn't have it. Instead, Stevens rode Irving and Horford into the ground on a night when both struggled at points, setting the stage for a subpar defensive effort from both in the fourth quarter. It's never easy with this team to make choices but Stevens didn't push the right buttons in this one.
These performances are going to make Kyrie's choice this summer even more fascinating: All year long, the All-Star carried his weight on the court for the majority of an underwhelming regular season but the problems for the Celtics in this series start with the point guard amid his three horrific shooting performances and tough defense. Irving has always been a force in the playoffs but he's also always had the luxury of a superstar to take some weight off of him. With no All-Stars on this roster to take that weight, Irving has crumbled under the pressure of a savvy Bucks defensive gameplan that has forced him into tough shots and poor choices. When the Celtics season comes to an end in the coming days, whether or not Irving will want a second chance to show what's he is capable of in Boston will be telling. There will be big changes coming in Boston this summer but how he responds to his own postseason disappointment will set the stage for the Celtics future as the front office attempts to pitch him on acquiring another superstar (Anthony Davis) to pair with him.