3 Studs, 3 duds from Celtics 113-107 comeback win over Bucks

After a slow start and gritty win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, the Boston Celtics got off to another rocky start on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were rolling from the jump, and the opposite could be said about the Celtics. But they fought their way back.

By the time the end of the fourth quarter came around, the Celtics things were neck-and-neck. A monster third quarter propelled Boston back into the game, but Antetokounmpo was fighting with all his might to keep the Bucks alive late. In the end, the Celtics finished the night on top, earning a 113-107 victory in Milwaukee.

Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ clutch win over the Bucks on Sunday evening.

Stud - Payton Pritchard

The Celtics looked lifeless in the first half. Their defense was in disarray, their offense had no rhythm, and everything was going wrong. Everything except for Payton Pritchard.

Pritchard caught fire in the first half, draining three after three after three. He finished the first two quarters with five threes, contributing to a 6-of-8 start from the floor (for 17 total points).

Nobody else on the Celtics had more than one made three in the first half, and only one other player reached the 10-point mark (Jaylen Brown had 11).

As the Celtics were floundering to find any sort of offense, Pritchard was there, and without him, they would have been down a lot more than 11 at halftime.

Dud - First two minutes

Against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night, Joe Mazzulla called his earliest timeout of the season at the 10:00 mark in the first quarter. He almost broke that record on Sunday, calling a timeout at the 9:38 mark. Boston found themselves down 16-2 for the second straight game.

It just felt like the Celtics couldn’t do anything right. They were getting beat in transition, missing open shots, and struggling to get into their actions on the offensive end.

Milwaukee was firing on all cylinders to the point where they were making even their contested shots. 

The Bucks were simply outpacing the Celtics, and it showed in the score.

Stud - Open to third quarter

After a rough first half of basketball, the Celtics turned up the gas in the third. The entire quarter was a success, but their open to the frame was particularly impressive.

Right out of the gates, it was Jayson Tatum time. He started the period with a great offensive possession, backing down Damian Lillard for an easy bucket inside. Then, he parlayed a nice defensive stop into a transition bucket. And immediately after, he found Brown underneath the rim with a sweet pass.

Boston’s defensive intensity was on another level in the third. They turned things up a notch, smothering the Bucks every chance they got, and it showed.

Milwaukee was out of sorts, and the Celtics’ offense finally started humming.

Dud - Defense/Giannis Antetokounmpo

As noted, the Celtics’ defense left a lot to be desired, especially in the first half. They were getting out-run by Milwaukee, which is never part of a winning formula.

But the biggest mismatch on the side of Milwaukee was Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is one of the best players in the world for a reason, and he showed it on Sunday night.

Every time Antetokounmpo got a head of steam behind him, it was over—the ball was going through the hoop. He was virtually unstoppable in this game.

Boston did a good enough job of slowing down everyone else on the Bucks, but when Antetokounmpo had a ball, it was a different story.

Stud - Attacking Damian Lillard

For as great as Antetokounmpo is, and for as impressive as Lillard can be on offense, the Bucks point guard is an absolute liability on the defensive end. And the Celtics know it.

Their first-half woes were erased in the third, in large part due to their relentless desire to attack Lillard. Every time the Celtics saw a chance to get Lillard in the action, they took it.

Whether it was a Tatum drive or post-up, Derrick White handling the ball, or anyone else on the Celtics getting a look, everything was aimed at Lillard. And even when Lillard wasn’t the one getting scored on, Brook Lopez or another big was helping from the corner because of his lack of defense, and the Celtics got open threes.

It was one of the main reasons they were able to get rolling on offense. Even when it came to crunch time, Tatum found White for a three because Antetokounmpo had to help over on a Lillard mismatch. The Bucks point guard is a complete liability on the defensive end.

Dud - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring

This was an awful game for Tatum and Brown in the scoring column. More specifically, they were a disaster when it came to their efficiency and shot selection.

Tatum and Brown were woefully inefficient, and their shot selection was brutal at times when the Celtics needed to get a good shot. From step-backs to deep threes, it felt like the two stars were playing a bit too individualistic at times.

Both players made key contributions in other areas—playmaking, defense, and getting to the line, in particular—but their scoring was not on par with their usual selves on Sunday. And it was a rough night for this type of performance.