BSJ Game Report: Celtics 117, Bucks 103 - Complete defensive and offensive efforts fuel Celtics in huge rebound win

Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics 117-103 win over the Milwaukee Bucks with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out strong behind a very energized Jaylen Brown. They moved the ball well and played tough defense, but a late first-quarter lull gave Milwaukee a double-digit lead. The Celtics responded in the middle quarters to build a double-digit lead of their own, which carried into the fourth quarter. Jayson Tatum slammed the door shut with 16 fourth-quarter points. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton held in check: Middleton left the game late with a hyperextended knee, finishing with just FOUR points in 24 minutes. He was denied touches by Marcus Smart and never got comfortable. Giannis still finished with a line that looked good (20 points, 7-14 shooting), but the early defense on him by Al Horford was stellar. He only had 7 points at the half and was clearly frustrated. 

The ball moved well: 31 assists on 43 made baskets and it could have been even better. The Celtics shot well but certainly missed some good looks on top of that. 

“On both ends I like the vibe, the feel,” Ime Udoka said. “You can see it, feel it, the difference out there. Offensively, the ball was moving. Obviously, Jaylen coming back is a difference-maker as far as a guy that can create. But not only for himself and others, it's the space he opens up for everybody else. Less attention to Jayson, a guy that they account for. So you saw that on the offensive end.”

TURNING POINT  

Horford caught an alley oop from Brown (actually more like a badly missed layup, but it went down as an assist) and then hit a 3-pointer to give Boston a 14 point lead with just over three minutes to play and basically take away any hope the Bucks had for a comeback.

SECOND GUESS

Ime Udoka threw a very non-shooting lineup out there that got blitzed. Smart, Dennis Schröder, Enes K. Freedom, Romeo Langford, and Grant Williams won’t cut it. I know guys have to sit and sometimes Tatum and Brown will be off the floor at the same time, but that's too much non-shooting.

FIVE UP

Jayson Tatum: 42 points and that monster fourth quarter were awesome, but he also had 3 steals and 4 assists. But don’t let the assist number fool you, he was slinging the ball and when the potential assists are tallied, he’ll have plenty. He lived in the space created by Jaylen Brown. 

Jaylen Brown: His gravity was huge. It's kind of funny how an All-Star-level player changes the dynamic on the floor. And his steal on an Antetokounmpo spin move was spectacular, as was his play on the break that drew the foul. Great anticipation of both the spin and the attempted chase-down block. 

Al Horford: How does a guy who scored just 10 points finish a +25 in a 14 point win? By playing phenomenal defense on Antetokounmpo. An absolute defensive master class. 

Marcus Smart: He attached himself to Middleton and did a phenomenal job. He also had 11 assists and no turnovers. The shooting is still not there and a couple of his 3-pointers were too quick, but that's nit-picking. 

Grant Williams: He was 5-7 on the night, all 3-pointers. His shooting this season has been unreal. He also picked up minutes guarding Giannis and held his own. 

ONE DOWN 

Dennis Schröder: He struggled with his shot and never could quite get it going. It’s going to be an adjustment for him to be back on the bench and playing with different groups. Not having Josh Richardson hurt, I think, taking away someone else off the bench who demands attention. 

PLAYS OF THE GAME

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

This should shut up the “shake it up” talk for a bit: There's little I dislike more than the lazy “shake it up” takes that are the basketball discourse version of fake hustle. It sounds bold to suggest certain trades but there's no substance or context involved at all. 

Watching Brown and Tatum play off each other better than we have in a long time shows how reactionary those takes can be. Hopefully this zips some lips for a little while. 

Of course, it’s on the Celtics to keep them zipped by continuing to play like this. 

Grant Williams’ revenge tour continues: I’ve said this in this space before, but it bears repeating on a night like this -- Don't give up on young guys too soon. 

Also … CONTEXT MATTERS!!

Why a guy struggles can guide you to the right conclusion, and Williams used his summer and his new situation to tailor his offseason work to his new job description. He’s certainly not perfect, but he gave the Celtics the exact lift they needed to rebound from a bad end to the first quarter. 

“Grant Williams tonight, his 3 3s I think all in the second quarter, were big, and allowed them to kind of get over the hump and have a lead at halftime,” Mike Budenholzer said. “The way he shot it but particularly that second quarter, I thought turnovers and Grant Williams 3s were the keys.”

Williams hit his first 3-pointer to make it 44-38, Milwaukee. His third one made it 51-50, Celtics, which was the halftime score. Williams was a perfect 3-3 in that second quarter and 5-7 for the game. After the game, I asked him if his confidence has grown over his career.

"Hell yeah. Way higher,” he said. “On the court, offensively, off the court with everything else going on in my life. My confidence is high."

Tatum sees it first hand. Asked about Grant shooting the lights out, he said, with a laugh, “Grant’s shooting the lights out – don’t let him hear that.” 

Too late. 

So I had to know if Grant chirped about his shooting. 

“Every day,” Tatum said. 

“But no, he’s put in so much work to develop and to be a guy that can guard and space the floor,” Tatum said, actually taking a moment to praise Williams’ development. “It’s night and day from when he first came into the league and somebody we can really depend on and rely on to knock down open shots and just space the floor.”

It’s easy to write guys off. It’s hard to stay patient and let them grow. Williams is working his way into being a very valuable rotation player and guy Udoka might want to consider starting, especially when guys are hurt so as not to pair Schröder and Smart too much.