Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: March 29 at Boston Celtics
By Ti Windisch
Major Key For Milwaukee: Play Good Defense
The Bucks’ recent winning ways have seen some high-scoring contests, but good defense has been present in almost all of Milwaukee’s wins since the All-Star Break. The Bucks are 13-6 since Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first All-Star Game back in February.
In those 19 games, the Bucks are allowing just 100.7 points per game. Their very slow pace has helped make that number look smaller, and Milwaukee’s defensive rating over that span is far from excellent. Still, holding teams under 100 points is usually a good way to get a win.
That number has been good for Milwaukee in the last several weeks. The Bucks are 10-0 since the All-Star break when the opposing team fails to score in triple digits, and obviously are just 3-6 when Milwaukee’s opponent does reach 100.
Against a potent Celtics offense that values three-point shooting and ball movement, Milwaukee can’t afford to fall asleep on defense at all. Boston loves to pass up good shots for great ones, and the Bucks have to stay vigilant to prevent that from happening–especially when Celtics stray beyond the three-point arc.