Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics meet at the Fiserv Forum this Monday at 03:00 UTC, SportyTrader reported, in an Eastern Conference matchup featuring teams at opposite ends of the standings.
Milwaukee enters the contest in last place with a 1-8 record, leaving little room for optimism regarding a potential Play-In berth. The Bucks struggled during recent defeats, falling 132-100 to the Houston Rockets and 136-111 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Taylor Jenkins’ squad showed more fight against the Minnesota Timberwolves before dropping a 112-100 decision, despite 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists from Tyler Herro. A home game against the Toronto Raptors brought an early nine-point halftime lead, but the Bucks faltered in the final two quarters to lose 121-107.
Boston holds the top spot in the East with a 7-2 record under head coach Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls 125-111 and the Orlando Magic 108-97 without needing their absolute best.
A subsequent test against the Houston Rockets resulted in a loss while playing on the second night of a back-to-back set. Paul George and company bounced back with a 119-80 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets, shooting 55% from beyond the arc as Jayson Tatum scored 34 points.
Boston and Milwaukee recently played each other in a game where Kuzma and his teammates took advantage of the large rotation made by their opponent to reduce the gap. Trailing by 21 points at halftime, the Bucks trimmed the final margin to seven points at 109-102. Despite that late surge, the broader trajectories of the two clubs highlight a stark contrast at the start of the NBA season.
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