The Celtics recovered nicely after stumbling out of the gates against the Bucks on Sunday. They responded to a 12-0 Milwaukee start with a 107-67 beatdown for the rest of the game.
Here's what stood out from the Celtics' second straight win:
Anferno ignited
Though this wound up being a comfortable win for the Celtics, it wasn’t always shaping up to be that way. They fell down 12-0 right out of the gates and struggled to score the ball throughout the early minutes of the first quarter.
Then… then Anfernee Simons checked in. The former Portland Trail Blazers star immediately got to work and ignited the Celtics’ offense. He quickly poured in 11 first-quarter points, including a tough stepback three at the buzzer over Ryan Rollins.
ANFERNO AT THE BUZZER 🚨 🚨 🚨 pic.twitter.com/rwCRxqXXD5
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 1, 2026
Simons kept it going throughout the afternoon en route to an impressive 27-point performance.
Jordan Walsh might be back
Celtics fans will remember how impactful Jordan Walsh was from mid-November up until he got sick in mid-December. He gave the team great defense and guaranteed hustle on the glass. Plus, he had that unconscious scoring stretch where he hardly missed for a week.
Anyways, the first two elements have been present in his game more and more as of late. Sunday was no different. Walsh had a stint in the second quarter where he was everywhere. He ripped down two offensive rebounds on the same possession, then came down and made a tough layup through traffic.
Walsh simply brought an infectious energy to this game, and it spread to his teammates.
Jaylen Brown is evolving right in front of our eyes, just not in the way you’d guess
Jaylen Brown, of course, has given the Celtics a tremendous effort all season long. His All-NBA-level consistency serves as a foundation for this team on a nightly basis. Early in the season, it was his scoring, and it still is, that captivated fans all over the world.
Lately, though, he’s gotten the rebounding bug. Brown hadn’t grabbed fewer than seven rebounds in any of his last six appearances heading into Sunday’s Pioneer Classic. His presence on the glass was extra prominent against Milwaukee.
By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, JB had already ripped down nine rebounds. There are plenty of factors that go into rebounding: positioning, luck, athleticism, and height. Even with all of those things coming into play -- more than anything -- you have to want to rebound. It’s a decision to crash the boards instead of running out in transition or getting back on defense.
Brown secured 13 rebounds on the day to go along with his efficient 30 points for his ninth double-double of the season.
I did not know there was another Nance in the NBA
Larry Nance played 12 seasons in the NBA from 1982 to 1994. His son, Larry Nance Jr., is currently in his 10th NBA season, now playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
His other son, Pete, is on the Bucks. I’m sure I’d heard of him before today, but I sure didn’t remember he was around. It’s his third season, actually.
He was fine in this game. Nance put in seven points and grabbed four rebounds.