The Boston Celtics were the only NBA playoff team that pulled off a sweep in the first round, surprisingly taking down the Brooklyn Nets in four games. That unbeaten streak came to a crashing halt in Game 1 of the East semis, as the Milwaukee Bucks came into the Garden and delivered a 101-89 lesson. The Celtics focused on controlling Giannis Antetokounmpo, so he turned into a master distributor instead, putting up 24 points, 13 boards and a dozen assists. Boston’s defense was seen as the better of the two coming into this series, but the Bucks ratcheted up the intensity and delivered a physical game. Now they have a chance to take the series home up 2-0. Don’t miss our NBA betting preview of this playoff showdown.
NBA Playoff Preview: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, Game 2
(Milwaukee leads, 1-0)
When: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 7:00 pm ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV: TNT
Radio: WTMJ 620 AM Milwaukee / 98.5 FM The Sports Hub Boston
Live Stream: Sling TV
NBA Odds: Boston -4.5
Why should you bet on the Bucks?
Giannis showed why he is a transcendent player in Game 1, taking the ball into the post, backing big men down, and then dishing to open shooters. He also controlled the glass while letting the rest of the team pick up the slack on offense. Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis were lights out with the jumper, and Grayson Allen kept on heading to the rim.
The most surprising factor was the Bucks’ defense. They came into this season with a reputation for being soft in that part of their game, but they have gotten past that, holding a talented Boston team to just 89 points on the road. They limited the Celtics to just 33 percent shooting, and one reason for this was the Celtics’ collective lack of will to crash the rim, instead setting for way too many three-balls, going 18 for 50 on the night.
Why should you put your money on the Celtics?
This is a must-win game for Boston, and we’re only in the second game of the season. The Bucks did to Jayson Tatum what the Celtics did to Kevin Durant in the first round, swarming him with defenders and leaving him confused. Marcus Smart is listed as questionable for Game 2, which means that Jaylen Brown needs to show up tonight. He only had a dozen points on a night when Tatum was the focus of the Milwaukee defense; Jrue Holiday put up 25 points when all the heat on Giannis left him open.
It’s hard to imagine that the Celtics would shoot as poorly as they did in a second straight game. Boston’s defense did the job on Giannis, limiting him to 36 percent shooting during his 38 minutes on the floor. He missed on some easy shots in similar situations that frustrated Kevin Durant in the first round. I don’t see Boston focusing on Giannis as much, as that left lots of open opportunities for everyone else. Instead, the Celtics might be willing to give up a big night for the Greek Freak in exchange for minimal contributions from the rest of the team.
Final Score and Prediction
Boston’s sweep of the Nets was not a fluke, so while they got punched in their collective mouth in Game 1, I see them bouncing back in Game 2. Moving back to a more even defense should allow them to limit Milwaukee’s easy buckets, and getting back into a normal shooting rhythm should get the Celtics over 100 this time around. I predict a final score of Boston 109, Milwaukee 103.
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