Milwaukee Bucks: Potential turning points in Boston Celtics series

Giannis just does the damn thing

This will almost certainly have to happen for the Milwaukee Bucks to make the second round this year, making it a pretty safe bet as a turning point in the series. Basically, the premise here is that Giannis Antetokounmpo shows everybody watching exactly why he’s going to be on a lot of MVP ballots this season by dominating the Celtics single-handedly.

Giannis averaged 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while playing some of the best perimeter defense in the NBA. Those are terrific numbers to be sure, but they will have to be better.

Luckily for the Bucks, Giannis has already shown he can do better against the Celtics. In Milwaukee’s first game of the 2017-18 regular season, the Greek Freak put up 37 points on 22 shots along with 13 rebounds in a win over the Celtics, although that team was still discombobulated from losing Hayward just one game prior.

Regardless, there’s no doubt that Giannis has a higher gear than even his excellent regular season numbers show. He dropped 40 or more points four different times in the regular season, including a different game against Boston, albeit one that the Bucks lost.

Giannis is playing better than he ever has before this season, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be at an even higher level in the postseason. The Celtics will certainly do their best to contain him, but he might just be able to carry the Bucks to the second round anyway.