The Celtics go to the Milwaukee Bucks for the second of 4 video games between these two groups this season. The Celtics received the primary assembly 119-116 in Boston. They are going to meet a second time in Boston on March 20. They are going to meet as soon as extra in Milwaukee on April 9. The Celtics received the collection 2-1 final season. They received on Christmas Day in Boston and 1 sport in Milwaukee. They misplaced one sport in Milwaukee.
The Celtics stay first within the East. They’re 4 video games forward of 2nd place Milwaukee, 5.5 video games forward of third place Philadelphia, 7 video games forward of 4th place Indiana and fifth place New York, and they’re 7.5 video games forward of sixth place Cleveland. The Celtics are 11-8 on the highway and 8-2 of their final 10 video games. They’re 22-5 in opposition to Jap Convention groups and are coming off a win of their final sport.
The Bucks stay in 2nd place within the East. They’re 4 video games behind first place Boston. They’re 1.5 video games forward of third place Philadelphia, 3 video games forward of 4th place Indiana and fifth place New York, and three.5 video games forward of sixth place Cleveland. The Bucks are 16-4 at dwelling and 5-5 of their final 10 video games. They’re 20-10 in opposition to Jap Convention groups and so they have misplaced their final 2 video games.
The Celtics are taking part in within the 2nd of again to again video games and needed to journey after Wednesday’s sport. They’re 5-1 thus far on the second night time of again to again video games. They’re 1-0 when the video games are Residence/Street. They’re additionally taking part in of their fifth sport in 7 nights. The Celtics are 117-110 all time general in opposition to the Bucks. They’re 43-70 in video games performed in Milwaukee.
The Celtics received at dwelling on Wednesday night time and tackle the Bucks on the highway on this sport. They are going to return dwelling to host the Rockets earlier than heading out on the highway once more to play in Toronto. They are going to then have dwelling video games in opposition to San Antonio and Denver. They are going to then tackle Houston and Dallas on the highway in again to again video games and the Warmth in Miami earlier than settling in for a 7 sport dwelling stand.
The Bucks are taking part in within the 2nd of a 4 sport dwelling stand. They are going to play Golden State and Sacramento again to again to complete the house stand. After that, their schedule will get simpler as they play Cleveland, and Detroit twice on the highway earlier than returning dwelling to face Cleveland twice and New Orleans earlier than heading out on a 5 sport Western highway journey.
The Celics must be nearly at full power for this sport. I anticipate that Al Horford will sit out for relaxation on the second night time of again to again video games. I additionally anticipate Kristaps Porzingis to return for this sport after sitting out Wednesday’s sport. For the Bucks, Jae Crowder is out with a groin damage. Cameron Payne is questionable because of being in concussion protocol.
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesDelano BantonOshae BrissettSam HauserLuke KornetSvi MykhailiukPayton PritchardLamar StevensJordan Walsh
2 Approach PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonNeemias Queta
Accidents/OutAl Horford (relaxation) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Bucks Starters
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Bucks ReservesThanasis Antetokounmpo MarJon BeauchampPat Connaughton AJ GreenAndre Jackson, JrChris LivingstonRobin LopezBobby Portis, Jr
Two Approach Gamers TyTy Washington, Jr
Accidents/OutJae Crowder (groin) out Cameron Payne (concussion) questionable
Head Coach Adrian Griffin
Key Matchups
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Jayson Tatum vs Giannis AntetokounmpoGiannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks’ finest participant and presumably the league’s finest participant. He’s averaging 31.4 factors, 11.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.3 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 60.7% from the sector however simply 23.8% from past the arc. Within the earlier sport in opposition to the Celtics, he completed with 21 factors, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and a couple of steals. The Celtics held him to 35% from the sector and no 3 pointers. You may’t cease Giannis, however you possibly can attempt to gradual him down.
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Jrue Vacation vs Damian LillardLillard is averaging 25.1 factors, 4.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals per sport. He’s taking pictures 42.8% from the sector and 35.2% from past the arc. Within the first sport in opposition to the Celtics, Lillard completed with 27 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a couple of steals. He shot 46% from the sector and 30% from past the arc. The Celtics have to play Lillard tightly on protection to restrict his manufacturing since he’s the largest menace apart from Antetokounmpo. Hopefully taking part in his former group will give Vacation added incentive to play properly to beat them.
Honorable MentionJaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton Middleton is averaging 14.7 factors, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per sport. He’s taking pictures 49% from the sector and 38% from past the arc. Middleton at all times appears to stand up for Celtics video games and is a verified Celtics killer. Within the first sport in opposition to the Celtics, Middleton completed with 12 factors, 5 rebounds, and seven assists. He shot 29% from the sector and 40% from past the arc. Jaylen Brown has been taking part in very properly in current video games and the Celtics will want him to proceed that on this sport.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Protection is at all times the largest key to successful. Protection actually does win championships. The Celtics are 2nd with a defensive score of 110.4. The Bucks are twenty second with a defensive score of 116.3. The Celtics should work tougher than the Bucks on protection and maintain their deal with the defensive finish in order to not enable any simple baskets for the Bucks.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is at all times an enormous key to successful. The important thing to rebounding is effort and focus. When the Celtics enhance their rebounding effort, it normally improves their play in different areas as properly. The Bucks are twelfth with 44.1 rebounds per sport whereas the Celtics are 1st with 47.6 rebounds per sport. The Celtics must battle onerous to beat the Bucks to rebounds.
Keep Centered – An absence of focus can clarify a whole lot of the Celtics issues after they wrestle. At occasions, the Celtics lose focus and wrestle to hit pictures that they might normally make. They generally take questionable pictures, miss some layups and stopped transferring the ball, which may also be attributed to a scarcity of focus. In addition they miss free throws in video games the place they lack focus. After they lose deal with offense, in addition they lose deal with protection and miss assignments and permit their opponent open pictures on the perimeter and simple pictures inside. They have to keep centered on taking part in the proper approach.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics must be the extra aggressive group with a view to have an opportunity to beat the Bucks. They must be extra aggressive in going for free balls and in crashing the boards. They must be extra aggressive on protection and so they must be aggressive in going to the basket and never settling for 3’s in the event that they aren’t falling. Usually the extra aggressive group will get extra calls. They’ll’t enable the Bucks to play tougher than them.
X-Elements Residence Court docket and Fatigue – The Bucks are an excellent dwelling group, going 16-4 at dwelling thus far this season. The Celtics can’t enable the distractions of taking part in on the highway to remove their deal with taking part in the sport. The Celtics are taking part in within the second of again to again video games after a troublesome time beyond regulation sport in opposition to the Timberwolves on Wednesday. Journey and again to again video games might have an effect on the play of the Celtics.
Officiating – The officiating can at all times be an x-factor. Some referees name the sport tight and others allow them to play. Some favor the house group and others name it evenly. Some refs simply appear to have an agenda that doesn’t match the play on the courtroom. And generally the refs are merely atrocious (see Pacers sport). Giannis appears to at all times get greater than his share of calls as he plows by gamers on his technique to the ring, leaving our bodies in his wake. The Celtics must play by nonetheless the refs name the sport, whether or not it’s tight or they allow them to play or they make horrible calls. The Celtics can’t enable dangerous calls or no calls to remove their deal with the sport.
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