Celtics defeat Bucks with four key takeaways after fending off a late surge.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Boston, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) steals a rebound from Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22). Charles Krupa/AP Photo
In a match between Eastern Conference rivals, Boston defeated the Bucks 119-116 thanks to the play of Jaylen Brown, who led seven different Celtics to double figures.
In the first half, Brown led Boston with 26 points and 8 assists, which allowed them to maintain a double-digit advantage for the most of the game.
Despite playing through illness, Jayson Tatum scored 23 points and 10 rebounds, and all three of the Celtics’ reserves finished in double figures.
With a 20–6 run in the last minute, Damian Lillard, who scored 27 points for the Bucks, helped the visitors come within three points.
But it wasn’t enough because Jayson Tatum made three free throws in the last minute to win it, while Giannis Antetokounmpo (7-of-20 FG) suffered through a poor shooting night.
With a 12-3 record, the victory extends Boston’s advantage over the Bucks to two games atop the Eastern Conference standings.
The Magic and the Celtics will play a crucial in-season tournament game on Friday afternoon that could decide who advances from the group in pool play.
Four things can be learned from the Celtics’ victory on Wednesday night:
Jaylen Brown makes a huge comeback: The All-Star responded fairly well against the Bucks on a huge platform after taking some well-deserved criticism for some ugly spells against the Grizzlies and Hornets.
With a combination of 3-pointers and rhythmic attacks, Brown scored eight of Boston’s first ten points with lightning speed.
Then, in the second quarter, he emerged as Boston’s finest playmaker, dishing out a team-high five assists in the first half and creating several open Kristaps opportunities.
Celtics bench shines: Although they were a touch erratic early in the season, these guys have really clicked in the last few weeks.
The second unit dominated offensively early on against the Bucks, putting Boston ahead by double digits in the second quarter.
That better effort was evident against the Bucks. Before the half, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Al Horford each made many 3-pointers and finished with 25 points on 9 of 12 field goals.
Joe Mazzulla rode that group longer than normal because of that kind of outstanding play, which limited the starting lineup’s playing time even against a top opponent.
It appears that Khris Middleton is no longer a player who can give the Celtics nightmares:
The seasoned winger has spent a large portion of the season on a minute restriction and still doesn’t look like himself.
He scored two points in the first half without making a shot, and the Celtics defense consistently blew him in one-on-one situations.
The Bucks’ plan to add Lillard this offseason included Middleton returning to form as a reliable third option.
But from a mobility and production perspective, he looks like a guy who may be in the back nine after his performance against the Celtics’ formidable offensive line.
Though Middleton still has a ways to go, there is still a long way to go before the postseason.
Most of the night, defense holds Giannis and Lillard in check: The first meeting between Lillard and Holiday since the offseason trades has everyone’s attention.
Even though Holiday only scored three points on the night, he was able to keep Giannis and Lillard in check by focusing a lot of attention on them.
This was made possible by the excellent Boston team effort. While Lillard appeared to be far from 100% (he was listed as out due to an oblique injury before to the game), Giannis shot 35% from the field, and the Celtics threw plenty of people at both players to ensure that nothing came easily.
Both players had a lot of unusual misses, but the Celtics performed admirably.
