PLAYOFFS 2022 - ROUND 2 - GAME 1 - MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Giannis triple-double helps Bucks beat Celtics 101-89

ESPN BOSTON

BOSTON -- — Giannis Antetokounmpo had his second career postseason triple-double, scoring 24 points with 13 rebounds and 12 assists on Sunday to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 101-89 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, and Bobby Portis had 15 points and 11 boards to help the Bucks swipe the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.


Game 2 is Tuesday night in Boston.

Jayson Tatum scored 21 points and Jaylen Brown had 12, but the two Boston stars combined to shoot 10 for 31 in the game. Al Horford added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics.

After shutting down Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, Boston couldn't stop Antetokounmpo -- even with Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart shaking off a shoulder injury.

The two-time NBA MVP scored eight straight Milwaukee points at the end of the first half to take a double-digit lead into the break. Boston was within seven in the final minute of the third quarter before going without a bucket for more than four minutes while the Bucks scored 11 of the next 14 points to open a 17-point lead.

Boston won 26 of its last 32 games in the regular season and was the only team to sweep its first-round playoff series. Milwaukee advanced by beating the Bulls in five games.

The Celtics led by as many as eight before Milwaukee scored the last 10 points of the first quarter. Antetokounmpo scored the last six of the half to give the Bucks a 56-46 lead at the break.

THAT SMARTS

Smart scurried off the floor with 1:12 left in the first half, in obvious pain with his right arm dangling limply beside him, after taking a swipe from Jevon Carter in the lane.

The team said during halftime that Smart had a shoulder "stinger" and a right quad bruise. He received a big cheer when he came out of the tunnel for the start of the second half, and finished with 10 points and six assists in 33 minutes.

Midway through the third quarter, Robert Williams III went down at midcourt after taking a hit to the groin. He went to the tunnel but returned after the timeout.

TIP-INS

The Bucks were without Khris Middleton, who is expected to miss at least two games with a sprained medical collateral ligament in his left knee. George Hill also sat out with an abdominal strain. ... Celtics coach Ime Udoka successfully challenged a third-quarter foul call against Grant Williams when Grayson Allen sprawled to the floor after a 3-point attempt. ... Antetokounmpo shot 1 for 6 in the third quarter.

112288

Yes, I was expecting a let down since winning against Crooklyn. It usually happens after an emotional series.

It will be interesting how IME handles the defensive strategy currently drawn up for game one and what he intends to in game two.

Add to that, how we can counter their defensive strategy with our offensive strategy. They differently took away our sweet spots on the floor for attack.

112288

We were way out of synch, I think I would have started Theis to bring one of their bigs out to cover his outside shot, giving more room for us to drive. Neither Tatum or Brown took enough mid range shots, all 3’s or driving into too much size. Middleton out of their line up made their defense bigger and better. They definitely showed their championship mettle and Giannis was a point power forward setting everyone up masterfully. They have a bigger frontline than the 84-86 Celtics, we couldn’t drive on their bigs, too much size and they clogged the lane. Middleton we could drive on. We better get some mid range going and ofcourse 3’s.

Jaylen lost his edge, all he did was therapy and rest/heal, he got away from his normal routine to heal and it got his game way off. Worst game I ever saw from him. At this level for us to prevail 2 J’s have to be at all star level, not brick so many shots and throw the ball away so many times. Ime is going to have to try some new things, GWill at the 4 with Al or Theis might be too small defensively against this frontline. We got physically dominated this game like never before and was shocking to see, they never did anything like this before to us in the
regular season.

Mainly one thing.  We all seemed to have gotten caught up in how good we looked coming in but somehow suppressed the #1 thing you can't forget when you're playing against a team in MIL's position...

The Rudy T. Rule.  I'm a little surprised we all let that one slip by.  Lesson learned.  No biggie.  It's a long series.      

Give Coach Bud credit.  He went back and looked at how we used to lose all those games through the first half of the season and all of last season, concluding that it's still in us if properly/forced out.  And then proceeded to make us do exactly that.  Lots of TO's and bad shots.  You'll win few if any games shooting 33% in the playoffs.  We didn't.  Can't really blame heaving the 3-ball.  36% is just above the Mendoza Line.  Not great but worth taking.    

Surprisingly, our bench held serve, 26-26.  Pritchard a little more accurate and we're golden.  

Kind of puts us in a precarious position losing the 1st game at home.  A lot more pressure than losing the second game or going 2-0 at home to start.  But if MIL wanted a war, they've got one now.          

db

Bucks served up a reminder of how deep they are. Two key players out and they still got it done. They also reminded us that success in the game of basketball still depends on having a couple of bigs who can score in the paint and defend there too.

We knew these weren’t the Nets, and even at that, every one of the four Nets games were close. Different looking series this time around.

Notice has been served.

db

Calling Danny Ainge. Please do us some kinda Kevin McHale favor.

worcester wrote:Calling Danny Ainge. Please do us some kinda Kevin McHale favor.

Coach Bud did a great job, had a masterful game plan, using a full court press to further throw off our offense. Using his strength, that massive frontline to bully ball our frontline both ends, while also using Giannis as a facilitator while he was attacking, leading to his second playoff triple double. It’s on now, we better figure out a lot of things for the next game, a must win.

Let's start with giving Jaylen a pep talk.

They were more physical than us.  I never would have thought that 6'3", 205#  Jrue Holiday would outmuscle Jayson Tatum under the rim but he did.  We played like wimps, without physicality. In football it is a lot better if you hit someone when you see they're about to hit you. Being a practice dummy hurts. They were popping us all over the court and we didn't lay into them when we saw them coming, we banked on whistles. This is the playoffs, kids, that's not how they go. They were flying after every loose ball, and getting more than their fair share (if level of effort isn't a factor).  They were on the road, without Middleton, and they knew they had to play inspired basketball, and they did.  We did not.  

Simply put they had ganas, "fire in the belly", we didn't.

The Js were a combined 10-31, 32.2%.  The team shot 33.3%, which means they diluted our effort.  31 fgas is also 37% of our total fgas.  You are not going to win games if almost 3 out of every 8 fgas are bricks.  Jaylen had 7 turnovers.  7 out of a team total 18.  Throw in Tatum's 3 and we are seeing our top 2 players delivering to the wrong address.  I predict this will not happen again.  I hate learning lessons this way, I'm sure everybody agrees including them, but sometimes that's how they happen.

But it's unfair to just single them out.  NOBODY shot well.  Pritchard was 2-8, all from 3.  I doubt that'll happen again too.  White was 2-6 and only 1 assist.  It's hard to rack up assists when nobody will hit the shot you fed them.

On defense we held them to 41%, but we gave up 90 fgas.  90.  That's awful.  How'd that happen?  28-8 on fast break points, that's how.  Don't mean to beat a dead horse here but you cannot let Giannis get the ball and pick up steam north-south full court and expect a happy outcome.  There was no wall.  Not at the logo, not in the half court.  I realize he's very long and quick but slide your damn feet!  Make him run over you in the half court.  Full court you must pick him up in the back court.  We've seen this for years now, this should not come as a revelation.  When Giannis shoots from the elbow extended and out you have a chance.  When he gets in the paint you're dead, either through pass or a short shot.

50 of our 84 fgas were 3s.  If that was Ime's strategy it wasn't a good one especially when it was clear we were obviously icy cold.  

The sky hasn't fallen, but it is a cloudy day.  We just need to win one on the road now.  Any team that cannot win on the road is a questionable Champion.

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401433610


Bob


.

I’ve like this team from the start of the year, but one big error was not keeping Moses Brown, a bonafide if flawed center. The only current Celtic who can alter their inside game is RW, at full strength.