Boston Celtics (52-24) at Milwaukee Bucks (55-21) Recreation #77 3/30/23

In a 2022 Jap Convention Semifinals rematch and a attainable 2023 Jap Convention Finals preview, the Celtics go on the street to go to the Milwaukee Bucks. That is the third and ultimate assembly between these two groups this season. The Celtics beat the Bucks 139-118 in Boston on Christmas Day. A really shorthanded Celtics group misplaced 131-125 in OT on February 14 in Milwaukee. These groups have been 2-2 final season with every group successful at residence.

The Bucks are enjoying within the first recreation at residence after a 4 recreation street journey. That is additionally the second of again to again video games for them, having performed in Indiana on Wednesday. They’ll then have 3 days off earlier than enjoying the 76ers on Sunday. They’re 9-2 within the second of again to again video games. The Celtics are enjoying within the second straight street recreation after dropping in Washington on Tuesday. The Celtics are enjoying within the first of again to again video games and can return residence to face the Jazz on Friday.

The Celtics stay 2nd within the East, 3 video games behind the first place Milwaukee Bucks who beat the Pacers on Tuesday. They’re 2 video games forward of the third place Philadelphia 76ers and 4.5 video games forward of the 4th place Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics are 24-16 on the street and 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’re 30-17 towards Jap Convention opponents. They misplaced their final recreation.

The Bucks are 1st within the East, 3 video games forward of the 2nd place Celtics. They’re 5 video games forward of third place Philadelphia and seven.5 video games forward of 4th place Cleveland. They’re 30-7 at residence and 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’re 32-15 towards Jap Convention opponents. They gained their final 2 video games. The Celtics are 115-110 all time towards the Bucks. They’re simply 42-70 in video games performed in Milwaukee and 73-40 in video games performed in Boston. That signifies that residence courtroom within the playoffs may very well be essential.

With Milwaukee enjoying within the second of again to again video games and Boston enjoying within the first of again to again video games, some gamers could also be added to the damage listing for damage administration. For the time being, Danilo Gallinari (ACL) is the one Celtic listed as out. Robert Williams III (knee) is questionable and can seemingly sit out this recreation or Friday’s towards the Jazz. Grant Williams is questionable with a non-covid sickness. Payton Pritchard (heel) can also be questionable.

For the Bucks, Khris Middleton is possible after sitting out Wednesday’s recreation for damage administration. Jae Crowder (calf) is questionable and Meyers Leonard (calf) is questionable. The standing of the questionable gamers for each groups will probably be a recreation time choice.

Possible Celtics Starters

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Celtics Reserves
Malcolm Brogdon
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Blake Griffin
Mike Muscala

2 Approach Gamers
JD Davison
Mfiondu Kabengele

Out/Accidents
Danilo Gallinari (ACL) out
Robert Williams III (knee) questionable
Grant Williams (sickness) questionable
Payton Pritchard (heel) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Possible Bucks Starters

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Bucks Reserves
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
MarJon Beauchamp
Jevon Carter
Pat Connaughton
Goran Dragic
Joe Ingles
Wesley Matthews
Bobby Portis, Jr

2-Approach Gamers
AJ Inexperienced
Lindell Wigginton

Out/Accidents
Jae Crowder (calf) questionable
Khris Middleton (knee) possible
Meyers Leonard (calf) questionable

Head Coach
Mike Budenholzer

Key Matchups

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  Jayson Tatum
  
  
  Photograph by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE through Getty Pictures
  
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  Giannis Antetokounmpo
  
  

Jayson Tatum vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks’ finest participant and probably the league’s finest participant. He’s averaging 31.1 factors, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 55% from the sphere however simply 28.5% from past the arc. In final 12 months’s playoffs, Grant Williams had some success guarding him and we might even see that matchup on this recreation. Jayson Tatum has been struggling considerably and the Celtics want him to get again to enjoying nicely. Hopefully he’ll discover his exterior shot once more but when not, he must get to the ring.

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  Marcus Sensible
  
  
  Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Pictures
  
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  Jrue Vacation
  
  
  Photograph by Scott Taetsch/Getty Pictures
  

Marcus Sensible vs Jrue Vacation
Vacation is averaging 18.9 factors, 5.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s capturing 47.1% from the sphere and 37.9% from past the arc. The Celtics must play Vacation tightly on protection to restrict his manufacturing since he’s the largest risk apart from Antetokounmpo. He completed the February 14 recreation with 40 factors, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and three steals. Vacation can also be defender and so the Celtics want to concentrate on him forcing turnovers.

Honorable Point out
Jaylen Brown vs Khris Middleton
Middleton is averaging 15.5 factors, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per recreation. He’s capturing 44.1% from the sphere and 31.5% from past the arc. He got here off the bench within the final assembly between these two groups to place up 16 factors, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Prior to now, Middleton has been a Celtics killer and has had fairly a number of huge video games towards them. After being the Celtics finest participant lately, Brown had a sub-par recreation on Tuesday and hopefully he’ll bounce again with recreation on this one.

Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection is all the time the largest key to successful. Protection actually does win championships. The Bucks have been successful video games with their protection. They’re 2nd with a defensive score of 110.0. The Celtics have climbed as much as 4th with a defensive score of 110.9 however their protection has not been constant. They performed little or no protection of their loss to the Wizards on Tuesday. The Celtics should work tougher than the Bucks on protection and hold their concentrate on the defensive finish in order to not permit any simple baskets for the Bucks in the event that they hope to win.

Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is all the time an enormous key to successful. The important thing to rebounding is effort and focus. When the Celtics enhance their rebounding effort, it often improves their play in different areas as nicely. The Bucks are rebounding group with 48.9 rebounds per recreation (1st) whereas the Celtics are seventh with 45.2 rebounds per recreation. The Bucks are 45-10 once they have extra rebounds than their opponents. The Celtics should out work the Bucks on the boards in the event that they hope to get a win on this one.

Keep Targeted – A scarcity of focus can clarify plenty of the Celtics issues once they wrestle. They lose focus and switch the ball over time after time throughout stretches within the recreation. Additionally they lose focus and wrestle to hit photographs that they might often make. At occasions additionally they lose concentrate on protection and miss assignments and permit opponents open photographs on the perimeter and straightforward photographs inside. The Celtics should keep targeted and maintain the ball, concentrate on taking and making good photographs, and concentrate on enjoying powerful group protection.

Be Aggressive – The Celtics should be the extra aggressive group with a purpose to have an opportunity to beat the Bucks, who’re enjoying very nicely. They should be extra aggressive in going for unfastened balls and in crashing the boards. They should be extra aggressive on protection and so they should be aggressive in going to the basket and never settling for 3’s in the event that they aren’t falling. They allowed a tanking Wizards group to be the extra aggressive group and it price them. They’ll’t permit the Bucks to play tougher than them.

X-Elements
House Courtroom and Fatigue – The Bucks are an excellent residence group, dropping simply 7 video games to this point this season. They beat the Celtics as soon as already in Milwaukee this season. The Celtics can’t permit the distractions of enjoying on the street to remove their concentrate on enjoying the fitting means. The Bucks are enjoying within the second of again to again video games, though it was a straightforward win over the Pacers, giving the Bucks’ starters some relaxation within the 4th quarter. Journey and again to again video games may have an effect on the play of the Bucks.

Officiating – The officiating can all the time be an x-factor. Some referees name the sport tight and others allow them to play. Some favor the house group and others name it evenly. Some refs simply appear to have an agenda that doesn’t match the play on the courtroom. And typically the refs are merely atrocious. Giannis appears to all the time get greater than his share of calls as he plows by gamers on his method to the ring, leaving our bodies in his wake. The Celtics should play by nonetheless the refs name the sport, whether or not it’s tight or they allow them to play or they make horrible calls. The Celtics can’t permit unhealthy calls or no calls to remove their concentrate on the sport.