Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 116-105 win over the Bucks with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Third-quarter explosion: The Celtics faced a 15 point deficit as late as the seven-minute mark of the third quarter in this one thanks to a balanced Bucks scoring attack in the first half combined with 33 percent shooting from the C’s. The hosts switched gears in a hurry, however, using a 26-7 run to close out the third quarter and doubling up Milwaukee 38-18 in the frame. Jayson Tatum (11 points) and Gordon Hayward (10 points) got red-hot in the frame as the C’s shot 54 percent from the field and 60 percent from 3-point range in the midst of a 19 point turnaround before the fourth quarter even began. The momentum carried over until the final frame as Kemba Walker (32 points), Jayson Tatum (25 points) and Hayward (21 points) combined to score 57 of Boston’s 74 second-half points and cruise past a Bucks team the couldn’t keep pace on the offensive end.
Starters carry the load: With Jaylen Brown (illness) and Enes Kanter (knee) sidelined, the Celtics started Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart. All five starters combined to score 108 of Boston’s 116 points on the night, with each player hitting the double-digit mark in production. Hayward had his first 20-10 game as a Celtic with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Walker scored a season-high 32 points in the midst of his third consecutive 20-point game. The high scoring output allowed Boston’s shorthanded bench to merely chip in on the defensive end in the midst of the C’s second-half run and still have enough for the double-digit win.
A statement victory: Most analysts don’t consider the Celtics to be top-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference but it’s hard to ignore what the C’s did in this contest and fail to raise their ceiling. Even without two of their arguably best seven players, the hosts went toe-to-toe with the East favorites and showed they could limit Giannis Antetokounmpo (22 points on 13 shots) and a mostly aging group of supporting veterans on the offensive end. The C’s have a significant speed advantage at most of these positions and the chemistry they are forming among their wings and Walker produced the best 18 minutes of basketball we’ve seen all season. It’s not going to go right like this on every night but the C’s showed they can play with anyone when it does.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half before erupting for a 37-11 run at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter to turn a 15-point deficit into an 11 point lead.
TWO UP
Kemba Walker: The All-Star saw all kinds of extra attention from Eric Bledsoe in the early going but managed to shake free in the second half, scoring 21 of his 32 points including 11 at the free-throw line. Walker became the fifth player in the NAB this season to record 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the same game.
Marcus Smart: The sixth-year guard did a very admirable job limiting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s opportunities in the first half (just four field-goal attempts) while keeping the C’s in the game with his 3-point stroke (3-of-6) from downtown. He scored a team-high 11 points in the first half, keeping the C’s within striking distance before their big rally on the way to a season-high 19 points.
TWO DOWN
Jayson Tatum in the first half: High volume and low efficiency continued for the third-year forward as he led the team in field-goal attempts in the first half with 10 but managed to knock down just two of those shots. He also misfired on all three attempts from 3-point range and settled for a number of attempts in the midrange against the Bucks formidable rim defense.
Gordon Hayward in the first half: The veteran swingman saw his struggles against the Bucks continue from last postseason as he missed his first five shots of the game with a series of misfires from the midrange. He finished the first half with just five points on 2-of-8 shooting, far less production than the C’s need on a night that Jaylen Brown is sidelined before fuprintg in the second half
TOP PLAY
? TATUM ? pic.twitter.com/CckLsCdkVv
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 31, 2019
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
Marcus Smart has emerged as the best Giannis stopper on the roster: The Celtics had other appealing alternatives on the MVP over the last few seasons but with the C’s lineup downsized, Smart got a large number of reps on the Greek Freak Wednesday night. He helped the C’s limit Anteotokounmpo to just 13 field goal attempts on the night, essentially forcing other Bucks to beat this C’s team on a night they were without one of their best defenders in Brown. Antetokounmpo never truly seemed to get comfortable in this one as the added ball pressure from Smart kept him from getting a head of steam for most of the night. Combine that effort with five makes from 3-point land and Smart proved himself to be the most valuable player on the floor
Brad Stevens has his team back: This game looked a lot like last year’s playoff series in the first half. Shots weren’t falling for the C’s in the midrange, the Bucks second unit was besting Boston’s reserves and things were on the verge of getting ugly on several occasions. This team kept scrapping however, especially on the defensive end in the face of adversity. It was a far cry from last year’s roster which would have let go of the rope in the second half and conceded a blowout when the shots aren’t falling. This group clearly has better resolve in the face of adversity as they constantly attacked the Bucks in the second half on both ends of the floor and did not let up until the final buzzer. These are the attributes of a Stevens team for most of his pro career prior to last season, giving the same level of effort whether the shots were falling or not. It remains to be seen whether this team has enough talent to sustain contending in the East but they can check off the mental tenacity after this 18-point comeback.
