In what should be a dog fight in the second-round of the NBA playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks present the ultimate test to this turbulent Boston Celtics team
The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are expected to meet in a highly anticipated and high stakes series in the second-round of the NBA Playoffs. In what is essentially an Eastern Conference Finals matchup, as the winner of this round will likely be the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference against the Golden State Warriors, there is much as stake for both teams.
Over the past two seasons, these two teams have played each other nearly identical during their regular season matchups. During the 2017-18 season, they split the season series. This season, the Bucks won out 2-1.
On November 01, 2018 when the Celtics managed to beat the Bucks this season, Kyrie Irving had 28 points and the Celtics had six players that scored over 10 points. And the Bucks only had four players score over 10 points.
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On February 21, 2019 when the Bucks beat the Celtics, the Bucks managed to keep the Celtics to only 97 points and Al Horford managed to score 21 points. Similarly, on December 21, 2018 when the Bucks beat the Celtics, the Bucks had six players scored at least 10 points and Khris Middleton scored 21. Kyrie Irving only scored 15 in the game and the Celtics had five players with over 10 points
In both of their wins this season, Giannis scored at least 30 for the Bucks, as he averaged 30 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in those games. However, the Bucks were able to effectively defend and manage Kyrie Irving in these games and kept Kyrie Irving to only 18.5 points per contest when the Celtics lost.
If these regular season games are any indication, Giannis is going to need to have a big series and his supporting cast is going to need to play well for them to win this series.
However, this is the not the first time the Bucks and Celtics have met in the playoffs.
In the first-round of the 2018 playoffs, the Bucks and Celtics went seven games and the Bucks lost Game 7 at the TD Garden. For that series, Giannis was dynamite and averaged 25.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. However, the Bucks only had four players that were averaging over 10 points per game and the Celtics had just too many players that stepped-up to the challenge.
Last playoffs, Eric Bledsoe shrank in the occasion and only averaged 13.6 points and 3.7 assists. He was outplayed by Terry Rozier. However, in the 2018-19 playoffs, he is averaging nearly five fewer minutes a game and is averaging 20.3 points and 5.3 assists on 51 percent shooting from the field.
It’s arguable that if the Bucks had home-court last season they could have beaten the Celtics in the first round. However, the Celtics will have Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward this year, unlike last season, when they take on the Bucks.
The Bucks have progressed substantially from last season, too, though. Milwaukee has added Brook Lopez, Nikola Mirotic, and George Hill to their roster this season. However, this year has been a breakout year for Giannis (a real threat to win the NBA MVP), Eric Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton (who made his first all-star appearance this season). The other role players on the Bucks have really developed this season as well.
Though, the biggest change the Bucks have made from last season is that they are now an elite defensive team. This has proven essential as the Bucks have taken on teams with multiple all-stars on their roster.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks had six players averaging over 10 points per game and five players that are shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range. The Celtics also had six players averaging over 10 points per contest and five players that are shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range.
Similarly, to the Pacers, the Bucks play well as a team and each player fits into their role well. However, the Pacers were attenuated after losing their best player. The Pacers, even with Oladipo, are nowhere near the challenge the Bucks will present.
The Celtics have more talent than the Bucks, but Bucks play well as a team. The Celtics are going to have to play nearly perfect basketball and get it together as a team to win this series.
Not only is Kyrie Irving going to have to play well, but his supporting cast is going to have to play well also. This series is without a doubt the ultimate test for the Celtics, and it could very well be the series that determines the fate of the Celtics for years to come.
If Kyrie Irving and the Celtics lose this playoff series, there will be major changes to the Celtics roster. And Kyrie Irving may not re-sign with the team. Either way, this series is going to be a dog fight to the end. And there are high stakes involved for both the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.