The Boston Celtics dominated Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals behind Kyrie Irving’s game-high 26 points. Here are a few takeaways
It wasn’t the type of score most people would have predicted between these two powerhouses, but a solid all-around performance from Boston helped them run away with Game 1 on the road. Giannis had a tough time getting it going, scoring just 22 points on the night which is lackluster considering the type of numbers he usually puts up.
For Boston, they were spectacular in many areas. Kyrie Irving was a catalyst, their defense played outstanding, and they received several impressive performances from their second unit.
Here are some takeaways from game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
- Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
- NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
- Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
- Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
- NBA Power Rankings: Tiering all 30 projected starting point guards for 2023-24
Kyrie Irving leads the way
Irving led the way in Game 1 for Boston, dropping 26 points and collecting 11 assists. He was 12 for 21 from the field for a 57 percent clip and also went 2 for 5 from downtown. He was really getting hot with the pull-up and fade-away jumpers all day long, while also using his slick handles to weave into the paint and convert at the rim.
Aside from his scoring, Irving was also very influential at distributing the ball. There were many times where he drew defenders towards him which freed up teammates for open looks in space. He connected with Al Horford numerous times at the top of the key, where he sunk several open jumpers. Irving was definitely one of the biggest factors in Boston’s Game 1 victory.
Shutting down Giannis
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a very hard time scoring at the rate he usually does in this game because Boston was double teaming and sometimes even triple teaming him in the paint. We all know what he is capable of but it was very hard for him to convert at the rim because so many guys were on him at once.
Al Horford in particular though did an outstanding job of playing hard, gritty defense on the Greek Freak, rejecting him several times throughout the game and making it hard for him to have any respectable attempts at the hoop. One of the biggest keys to shutting down this Bucks team is containing Antetokounmpo and Horford can take full responsibility for doing so.
Bucks struggled from the field
The Bucks had a night to forget from a shooting standpoint, converting on just 35 percent of their shots. They also shot just 33 percent from the 3-point line. The only player to actually shoot well was Khris Middleton, who 5 for 12 from the field and 3 for 4 from downtown. Antetokounmpo was a disappointing 7 for 21 from the field, which is very unlike him. He also didn’t make a field goal until the beginning of the second quarter.
On the upside though, he was 3 for 3 from 3-point range. It was definitely an off day for Milwaukee because they are usually a very good shooting team. They were 3rd in the NBA with a 47.6 field goal percentage during the season. They got off to a slow start off the bat and couldn’t get in a groove after facing a deficit early. It’ll be important that they begin game two with momentum so they don’t fall behind early like game one.
All-around team effort for Celtics
Everyone contributed in this game for Boston. They received some impressive performances from their bench, with Gordon Hayward dropping 13 on the night and Terry Rozier scoring 11 points. Rozier also collected nine rebounds, which was huge. Aside from those two off the bench, it was the terrific trio of Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and Kyrie Irving who ate up the majority of Boston’s points. Between the three, they combined for 65 points, 14 assists, and 22 rebounds. Brown had 19 points, while Horford added 20 points along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Everyone on Boston played extremely good defense as well. A huge reason the Bucks struggled from the field was that they weren’t given a lot of open looks whatsoever throughout this game. Every Celtics defender was playing in your face defense, giving Milwaukee minimal space to find a solid look from the field. Boston has been known as a physical team all year and they proved that to be true in the opening game of this series.