The Boston Celtics cannot let the Milwaukee Bucks catch them off guard the rest of the way
Give them credit, the Boston Celtics put on an amazing performance against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the 1st round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum proved that even with little to no Playoff experience that they could still be very effective.
The two young guns handled the pressure of the big stage very well and were one of many bright spots of a Celtics team playing without their two stars in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
The other two impressive players from the game were Al Horford and Terry Rozier. Throughout the entire season, both Horford and Rozier have proven that they may not be stars compared to the rest of the league, but they can significantly change a game due to their talents with a basketball.
Horford consistently rebounded and recorded baskets in the paint, and Rozier was able to maneuver around defenders and get to the basket time after time again.
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It’s also important to mention the fact that Rozier put Eric Bledsoe on skates and (nearly) iced the game with 0.5 seconds to go in the game, but Khris Middleton somehow put up a great game-tying basket to force overtime.
In regards to the Bucks, they deserve a lot of credit for the way they played on Sunday afternoon. Milwaukee was constantly hustling for loose balls and refused to go away from Boston and they proved that they’re going to fight hard for this series.
With all of this being said, it is very important that the Celtics don’t let their guards down as they charge through the rest of the series. Boston may have a 1-0 lead on the Bucks as of now, but let’s not forget that Milwaukee forced the Toronto Raptors (the current #1 seed) to six games last season, and the Bucks’ roster has only improved this season plus more experience. Boston has a lot of young talent and has the home court advantage, but Milwaukee could easily sneak around the Celtics if they’re not careful enough.
Remember, the Bucks also have an MVP-calibre player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Plus, Jabari Parker is also healthy and only gets better as he continues to play in more games, so the Bucks are definitely a team that can catch fire at any point during the season.
Next: Can we Expect the Boston Celtics to get Better?
Milwaukee has been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league so far this season, and that could mean that the Celtics could end up on the wrong end of that deal if they don’t stay focused.