It was a slow burn for the Boston Celtics on Monday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned for the Milwaukee Bucks, playing in his first game since January 23, and he kept his squad in the mix.
Boston's offense started off slow. Their threes weren't dropping, but once again, offensive rebounds kept them afloat. The Celtics shot just 4-of-13 (30.8%) from deep in the first quarter, but they notched nine points on five offensive rebounds.
Antetokounmpo looked like himself, forcing his way into the paint, but his energy wasn't the star of the show.
That's because Hugo Gonzalez was on the floor.
The Celtics rookie was a blur. He dashed down the lane for offensive rebounds, helped into the paint for steals (and blocks), and was even tasked with guarding Antetokounmpo, often picking him up full-court.
By the time the first half came to a close, Gonzalez had tallied 10 points, nine rebounds (four offensive boards), one assist, three steals, and one block. He shot 4-of-9 from the field and 1-of-4 from deep.
Derrick White's upward trajectory in the shot-making department continued, too, and Payton Pritchard snapped out of his funk after putting up a goose egg on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even Luka Garza, who hasn't played rotational minutes in weeks, earned a chance to play with Neemias Queta out due to rest. (Jaylen Brown was also sidelined, listed on the injury report with a non-Covid illness). In the first half, Garza grabbed three of his classic offensive rebounds in 9:12 of game time, constantly finding a way to muck the game up.
Boston's entire lineup gave them something in the first half. It was a well-rounded offensive performance and a collective effort on the defensive end, too.
As the third quarter got underway, the Bucks kept up the momentum they gained late in the second. In total, it was a 15-3 run for Milwaukee.
But the Celtics trusted their principles.
They stood their ground offensively, sticking with their pick-and-rolls and getting Nikola Vucevic involved.
Gonzalez kept hustling, cutting off the ball and dominating the glass, and White and Pritchard were maestros. Vucevic even got in on the fun, dishing out a ton of dimes.
But for Gonzalez especially, his impact stretched beyond the offensive end. He guarded Antetokounmpo well, though it took the effort of multiple players to truly stop the superstar.
Milwaukee made run after run. The Celtics gave up transition points and threes. But each and every time, Boston responded.
And once the final buzzer sounded, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Pritchard's 25 points led the way, but it was an all-around showing for Boston.
Big winner: This was one of