All of the headlines will be dominated by a return to the MECCA, but the Milwaukee Bucks also have business to take care of against the Boston Celtics.
Following a win over the Boston Celtics on the road in their season opener, the Milwaukee Bucks will face an early season rematch with one of their biggest rivals on Thursday night.
The Bucks and Celtics are expected to battle out for position in the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference this season, much as they have throughout the two franchises’ respective histories. As such, the Celtics make for a suitable opponent as the Bucks make a one-off return to their old home of the MECCA as a part of their ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations.
To mark the special occasion, the Bucks will be suited up in throwback jerseys reminiscent of the franchise’s great uniforms of the 70s, while the game will be played on a replica design of Robert Indiana’s iconic MECCA floor.
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Back to the action itself, the Bucks will be looking to turn a good start into a great one with another win over the Celtics, while all of those in attendance and watching around the world on TV will also be eager to see what Giannis Antetokounmpo can do next.
For the Celtics, although a 2-2 start to the year is by no means disastrous in the context of the genuinely disastrous loss of Gordon Hayward, they’ll be hoping to get above .500 for the first time this year and start to move past the excuse of an injury that they’re likely to have to cope with for the entirety of the season.
Milwaukee hasn’t played since a Monday night win over the Hornets, while the Celtics were off on Wednesday following a Tuesday night win over the Knicks. With both teams coming in relatively fresh, let’s take a closer look at the factors that could decide this exciting matchup.