Some folks thought this game would be a head-to-head matchup between Eric Bledsoe and Kyrie Irving. It turned out to be a battle among big men. Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the force with 40-point effort, but Al Horford earned the night’s MVP award. Boston’s starting PF racked up 20 points, 9 boards, and 8 dimes to just miss a triple-double. If there was a most valuable group, the Boston Celtics reserves would take it.
Hot Start
Jayson Tatum came out burning hot, hitting all 4 of his three-pointers before the 3 minute mark of the 1st quarter. He played in the flow of the game, forcing no shots while posting 4-for-5 from downtown. Most impressively, he made it look almost effortless, easily shedding defenders. He went 5-6 overall, his only miss coming on a long trey to close out the half.
Sloppy Play Opens Door
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Silly turnovers dogged Boston early, including one resulting in a thunderous Giannis dunk. The Greek Freak bulled through most of players defending him. Aron Baynes was a notable exception in his 15 minutes on the court. He slowed Antetokounmpo as much as anyone could while completely bullying the Bucks’ starting center, John Henson. Jaylen Brown collected 3 quick fouls, forcing him to the bench for the rest of the half. Marcus Smart relieved him, providing his usual stalwart defense and handing out some heady dimes. All of this resulted in 34 1st quarter points for Boston.
Here comes the Bench
The bench reversed its trend by building a 15 point lead five minutes into the 2nd quarter. Marcus Morris shot his usual quick and head-shaking misfires. But, he also hit his first 3-point attempt, tracked down a hustle steal, and fed Daniel Theis for a loud jam. For his part, Theis made the most of limited minutes, blocking a pair and running the fast break for a nice finger roll. Milwaukee’s guards started hitting their 3s, allowing the Bucks to make a bit of a run. However, they couldn’t get it to single digits. The half ended with the Celtics up 62-49.
Tepid 2nd Half, again saved by Reserves
The 2nd half featured lulls similar to the second quarter. Bledsoe finally woke up and scored 16 of his 18 points in the latter half. Giannis continued to pile up points. The lead dwindled to 7 at one point. However, the bench came to the rescue, despite the fairly lacklustre game by Semi Ojeleye. Terry Rozier brought his infectious energy on every possession, harassing the Bucks and jumping out the gym on several rebounds. Eventually, Milwaukee ran out of gas with 4 of their starters logging more than 34 minutes. Malcolm Brogdon, often a thorn in Boston’s side, added only 10 points despite 31 minutes. All told, the Celtics won 111-100.
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Reserves (finally) bring the A-Game
The story here is the bench. Time and again, the reserves fumbled away leads. The starters did their best to rescue them, (almost) always succeeding. This time, the bench kept the proverbial foot on the gas. Milwaukee never had a chance to get on top, sparing the starters another exhausting bailout. If this keeps up, another lengthy streak may wait around the bend.