Final: Celtics 111, Bucks 105 - C's pull away with late run

BOSTON CELTICS (17-4) vs. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (11-10)    

TD Garden, 7:30 p.m. (7:43 with the ESPN start) - ESPN, NBCS Boston

Line: Boston -8.5

INJURIES

Boston: Kristaps Porzingis (OUT, foot rehab)

Milwaukee: None

In a weird schedule quirk, this is the final meeting of the season between the Bucks and Celtics. 

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Khris Middleton’s return: It’s his first game back from double ankle surgery in the offseason, so I don’t know what to expect. He’ll be on a minutes restriction and he’ll come off the bench. Doc Rivers said Middleton has done a lot of five-on-five work to get back on the floor and he looks great, but he says he’s not sure what to expect tonight either. I still think Middleton can help them, but we’ll see how much. 

2. Rested Jayson Tatum: Will he come out feeling it with fresh legs? Will he defend a little better than he has? Curious to see what the impact of the day off is. I don’t know if it means anything, but he did hit a halfcourt hook shot before the game. 

3. Attacking Damian Lillard: The Celtics attack mismatches better than any other team in the league, and Dame is the sieve on the Bucks. I don’t know if the Bucks will tip their hands, but they’ll have to figure out how to stop this if they hope to win. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.