Milwaukee Bucks: Potential turning points in Boston Celtics series

The Milwaukee Bucks are slated to take on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, and these four potential turning points could decide the series.

The Milwaukee Bucks are not found in the dictionary under the term up-and-down team, but that’s probably only because the term up-and-down team is not found in the dictionary in the first place. If it was, the Bucks would probably be there.

The highs are so high: winning streaks, Giannis Antetokounmpo being a legitimate MVP candidate, Eric Bledsoe‘s good nights, not having Jason Kidd on the sidelines anymore, et cetera.

The lows do get awfully low, though. You only have to look back to the most recent Bucks game to see the team get absolutely demolished by the Philadelphia 76ers, who thankfully are not Milwaukee’s first-round opponent.

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That would be the Boston Celtics, a team with a lot of ups that has had virtually no downs aside from some unfortunate injuries. Without Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Marcus Smart, Boston is far from full strength in the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Milwaukee is the more talented team, accounting for injuries, and should have a shot in this series, which will likely have lots of ups and downs in itself. The Bucks might win, or they might lose. Either way, an X-factor will likely emerge that tells a lot of the story of the series.

So, let’s look at four potential turning points that could decide the victor in this first-round match-up — two for Milwaukee, and two for Boston.