Three players will be in the starting lineup for the first time in the playoffs and another will start a second game.
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But Milwaukee wasn’t done yet.
Out of a timeout, Brogdon got free on the wing and drained a three with 10.3 to play to tie it at 96. But the Celtics also leaned heavily on a pair of veterans up front with Al Horford scoring 24 points with 12 rebounds in 44 minutes, and Morris scoring 21 points with seven rebounds in 35 minutes off the bench. He started all 71 games that he played for the Bucks and posted a triple-double on Monday with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a victory over the Orlando Magic.
Since they had a timeout left, the Bucks were able to advance the ball beyond half court on the ensuing possession.
The Bucks opened up the second with a 15-2 run after the Celtics struggled on the offensive end with ball management and shot selection.
Against the Celtics, a team known for its perimeter defense but not so much inside, which is where Antetokounmpo does most of his damage, he went for 33.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists. The Cavs stormed back and got within seven, but Oladipo hit a big 3-pointer and Bojan Bogdanovic helped put Cleveland away with a 3 to make it 88-71. In brighter news, Irving’s main replacement in Terry Rozier is dealing with a finger ailment but is expected to play in Game 1.
“I think he has that long, wiry strength, like a Scottie Pippen or an Eddie Jones”, Allen commented. “Do what I can to give this team and boost and put us in position to win”.
As the Boston Celtics prepare for their first round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, let’s look at the match up. But he said he must do a better job the defensive end against Horford going forward.
“He knows what he’s doing down there”, Antetokounmpo said.
The Bucks enter the playoffs much differently than they did last season.
And, yet, here we are again about to get our hopes up the Bucks can pull through when it matters the most.
Middleton receives the in-bounds pass with 0.5 seconds left on the clock, as he gets off a quick release deep three and of course, guess what? This time he missed his off-balance jumper, but he beat a bevy of Bucks to the carom in the right flat.
Prediction: The Celtics have one of the best coaches in basketball in Brad Stevens and in the end, he will be the biggest factor in the series. Rozier has been a revelation this season, stealing Jaylen Brown’s mantle as the team’s most improved player.
It was 108-106 when Horford snared a rebound and got it ahead to Rozier, who was fouled. The Boston Celtics are shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc and 88.9 percent from the free throw line.
We’re probably in for a handful of close games that come down to the wire over the next two weeks, which have been a trademark for the Celtics since Irving went down. Brown is enjoying a career year for the team and Tatum has been a great addition to his rookie campaign. The odds are obviously against Boston even making it to the conference finals, but they could surprise if Horford leads the charge and their young players rise up.
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Rozier added three free-throws to provide the final margin.
