Shock of extremes, difficult to imagine a few weeks ago, between Celtics and Bucks who occupy 2nd and 13th places respectively in the Eastern Conference. The opportunity for the reigning champions to Boston to test oneself under pressure Milwaukeefacing Giannis Antetokounmpo (42 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists), but the teammates of Jayson Tatum (31 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists) finally managed to make the difference in the second half (113-107).
Surprisingly, it is the Bucks who start this meeting with their feet on the floor, behind a Giannis Antetokounmpo in a state of grace in the paint and a Taurean Prince who punishes from 3-points. The gap quickly rises to +10 and is even close to twenty points. Overwhelmed in terms of intensity, the Celtics held on as best they could, collectively, but it was above all Payton Pritchard who put them back on track with 3-pointers off the bench. Except that Giannis does it again, with the help of Damian Lillard, and the +10 remains relevant, as Doc Rivers' players shoot with insolence (69-58).
No doubt upset, Boston picked up strongly in the wake of Jayson Tatum and the 3-pointers of his lieutenants, Jrue Holiday in the lead. The defense has also gone up a notch and Milwaukee lacks solutions to move the champions, hence the declining skill and the lesser influence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. THE momentum has clearly changed sides and it shows, with Giannis doing his best to resist the Celtic surge, but Tatum and others are just stronger and better armed under tension. In the end, victory was in hand at the end of a particularly controlled and successful second period (113-107).
TO REMEMBER
– A half to start Boston. After suffering in the first period, due to the ultra-high shooting skills of the Bucks, the Celtics returned from the locker room with a completely different face and, led by a finally skillful and aggressive Jayson Tatum, they overthrew their opponents in a few minutes. The 3-pointers fell in, the fouls were caused and the defense tightened up in the paint, so as to inflict a 29-15 in the third quarter which changed everything. Then Joe Mazzulla's players continued their momentum, also being able to thank Payton Pritchard for his valuable baskets before the break.
– Giannis Antetokounmpo, monstrous but lonely. If he could have been expelled for an elbow then a support that drags under the feet of a shooter, the “Greek Freak” nevertheless played the entire game and he was heroic to put the Bucks in a position to take it away. The problem is that Damian Lillard and the other starters did not weigh, with only AJ Green, Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis contributing a minimum. Too fair, however, to get the better of the champions and leave with victory. Especially when skill drops and the attacking game plan is limited to Giannis Antetokounmpo…
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
