Even without Khris Middleton, the Bucks have confirmed that they should be counted on in their title defense. Monstrous in defense and physically dominating, Giannis Antetkounmpo’s teammates won 101-89 at TD Garden. After a start to the game under the sign of “hooray basket”, the Bucks got their hands on the game by their accuracy and their protection of the circle. The Celtics can’t approach the basket, and they only score on transition. Milwaukee loses a lot of balls, and after five minutes, the score is tied (10-10).
The first changes turn to the advantage of the Celtics who offer themselves a mini-break (18-12) but Milwaukee does not panic. While a huge tap from Jaylen Brown on Giannis exploded the room, Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis planted two new 3-pointers and Ime Udoka was forced to stop the game (24-22). Behind, Jevon Carter even gives the advantage to the Bucks (25-24). Clumsy, Giannis turns into a passer, and Milwaukee signs a 10-0 to end the first quarter (27-24).
Brook Lopez as sentry
Payton Pritchard stops the bleeding (27-27), and Boston survives by the offensive rebound. The two defenses are very high and access to the circle is complicated. Jayson Tatum unlocks his counter, Jaylen Brown is still suffering, and Giannis continues to play the others (39-34). Matthews drives the nail to 3-pointers five minutes from halftime (42-34). The Bucks’ patience is rewarded. Tatum and Brown wake up, and Horford puts in a 3-point layer to come back to -2 (45-43). But Grayson Allen hurts badly, and the Bucks’ very wide 2-1-2 defense traps the Celtics. Worse, Marcus Smart is out through injury, and the Bucks take the opportunity to take off to reach the 10-point lead at the break (56-46). At halftime, the Celtics only scored six 2-pointers. It is their lowest total of the season.
Returning from the locker room, Lopez covers Williams, and Portis scores behind: +12. The match is more and more hung. Lots of contacts, arms torn off, and Tatum (finally) catches fire (58-52). But Holiday plants a 3-pointer, then steals a ball… and Portis continues (64-54). There is less control in the Bucks, but Boston does not take advantage of it. The defenses took over with counterattacks from Williams, Giannis and Lopez. It’s still just as difficult to go to the circle, on both sides (74-66). Boston does not benefit either from the exit of Giannis and Holiday is responsible for attacking the defense (78-70).
It was finally Bobby Portis who knocked out the Celtics with a 3-pointer from the corner (87-72). Nine minutes from the end, Boston lacks solutions and lacks aggression towards the circle, like a transparent Brown. It’s still Holiday who kills the game: an interception then a 3-pointer: 17 points ahead, and Brad Stevens is already leaving his box. Behind, Giannis performs a “T-Mac” then causes a passage in force. To make matters worse, Tatum sends an airball. The end of the game is without interest, and the Bucks win by 12 points, leaving the Celtics under 90 points!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Injured Marcus Smart. Minutes from halftime, Marcus Smart injured his shoulder and thigh. We thought it was a shoulder dislocation. He came back in the second half, but he was clearly down, and the Bucks let him shoot from long range. It was when he returned to the bench that Milwaukee definitely took the break.
– Bobby Portis remains incumbent. Mike Budenholzer continues to trust Portis in the starting lineup. It should be noted that Grayson Allen was the first to come off the bench and it was to replace Jrue Holiday.
– A real fight. We have rarely seen so many players on the ground since the start of the playoffs, and the referees let play a lot. The Celtics had erected a wall, and Giannis Antetokounmpo repeatedly sent Robert Williams or Marcus Smart to the ground. There were crutches, kicks in the lower abdomen. But everyone got up, and there was a good spirit throughout the game.
– Ime Udoka knows defeat. Rookie coach, Ime Udoka will not equal Steve Kerr and Tyronn Lue who started their career in the playoffs with five wins in a row. They had then been NBA champions…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅Brook Lopez. The racket boss for 48 minutes. Robert Williams can’t shoot from long range, and Lopez was able to defend on the cover. He dominated on rebounds and blocks. A match “à la Marc Gasol”.
✅Jrue Holiday. As good in defense as in attack, he was the most consistent in attack. A physical monster who does not hesitate to challenge the greats of Boston, or to throw himself on all the balloons.
✅⛔Giannis Antetokounmpo. A lot of waste from the MVP of the 2021 Finals with free throws and missed lay-ups. But his serenity is contagious, as is his altruism. He played the others and he is rewarded with a 2nd career triple-double in the playoffs. His “T-Mac” is the action of the game.
✅Al Horford. Difficult to bring out a player from the lot at the Celtics but Al Horford was the most regular and the most effective in defense on Giannis.
✅⛔Jayson Tatum. Not a great performance on his part with this ugly 6 out of 18 on shots, but he maintained hope at the start of the 2nd half. More aggressive than Brown, he also participated more in the game.
⛔Jaylen Brown. Like Jayson Tatum, he missed his first half. The problem is that he did not manage to raise his head, and he was catastrophic from afar and up close.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 2 in Boston on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday (1h00)
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