Boston Celtics: 3 keys to taking series lead against Bucks in Game 5

Boston Celtics key to victory No. 1) Get out to an early lead

With home-court advantage awaiting the green, excitement is in the air in Beantown. The momentum is also in the Celtics’ favor as this series seesaws back-and-forth. To maximize the energy and momentum, Boston needs to try and get out to an early lead in Game 5. Doing so could squander any hope the bucks have and make things easier as the Celtics hit the road in Game 6.

A big lead for Boston could put things away early. In their Game 2 win, the Cs led by 11 at the end of one, and 21 at the half. As evident by those numbers, good things happen when Boston runs it up early on.

It has been tough for both teams to score in the half-court in this series, so an early lead could make that even tougher on Milwaukee. That would also allow Boston to get Horford some rest, as the 35-year-old logged 41 minutes in the Game 4 win. It could also serve as a chance to mix in Payton Pritchard more and help him back into a rhythm.

Rest is always good, especially in these longer series. Jumping ahead in the first quarter could benefit the Celtics long-term as well.