Game 1 Final: Bucks 101, Celtics 89 - Milwaukee defense stifles C's at every turn

ROUND 2, GAME 1

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks
TD Garden
1:00 PM - ABC

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Boston: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams

Milwaukee: Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Bobby Portis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

- Jaylen Brown is good to go with no restrictions. Before the game, Ime Udoka wouldn’t call the situation an “injury” and said this was unrelated to the issue

“The swelling or whatever is in a different area of his hamstring than previously before, and so that's a different thing,” he explained. “We went through all the testing, his strength is the same as the other one. All the precaution and preparation that he did leading up to it the last few days have showed no difference. And so as far as that, he's on no limit restriction, minute restriction, and he's confident to go out. He feels good, they feel good about where he's at and where he's tested and all that is pointing in the right direction with no limitations at all.”

- Robert Williams is back in the starting lineup, also with no restrictions. The Celtics are back to their regular rotations.

- Khris Middleton (knee) and George Hill (abdominal strain) are out for Milwaukee.

- Boston is favored by 4.5

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR

1. Bucks slow start: Milwaukee is notorious for starting series slow, coming out doing what they do instead of proactively adjusting before the series. This has generally let opponents get their game plan off pretty well in Game 1’s, so let’s see if that trend holds for the Celtics in this series. 

2. Robert Williams’ impact: The Celtics big “adjustment” for this series could simply getting back to normal rotation-wise. Game 1 will tell us a lot about whether Wiliams can blow up Milwaukee’s drop coverage. 

“They like to protect the paint, and obviously, our bigs are great shooting but not only that, Rob being back and being a lob threat with those guys back in the drop will be beneficial as well,” Udoka said. 

It's not that the Celtics won’t be able to get into the paint against Milwaukee, it’s that the Bucks force teams into floaters and mid-range shots once there. If Williams can put pressure on Lopez and force him to make decisions at the rim, then those floaters become layup attempts or dump-offs. 

3. Which role players make a difference: Do the Celtics go with Payton Pritchard at all? Do they only use him in non-Antetokounmpo minutes? Do they go with Aaron Nesmith for some size? What about on the other side -- what can Portis give them? Can Boston limit Pat Connaughton or Grayson Allen, both of whom are capable of getting hot? 

GAME THREAD

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