Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 123-102 win over Boston Celtics

Defense tightens up

The Bucks’ defense in Game 1 was also very poor — everything about the Bucks in Game 1 was poor. A lot was made about the scheme and playing style of the Bucks’ defense and how the Celtics exposed them.

I didn’t quite believe in that. I think it was more about the Celtics hitting some tough shots and the Bucks being a step slow physically and mentally throughout. However, adjustments would need to be made, which is true in every playoff series.

In Game 2, the Bucks were much more aggressive and stout on defense. They mixed up their defense much more, especially when it comes to screens.

The Bucks switched or pressured the ball much more than usual, forcing the Celtics to adjust and figure out the Bucks’ defense instead of the other way around.

With the added switching from the Bucks, the Celtics got more mismatches, but they struggled to make them pay and seemed to take themselves out of their own offense to go isolation with a mismatch, disrupting the flow and actually giving the Bucks’ defense the advantage.

Look no further than Kyrie Irving’s stat line for the night. After seemingly getting whatever he wanted in Game 1, Irving was hounded and flustered all night and had one of the worst playoff games of his career, going just 4-of-18 from the field for nine points, four assists and three turnovers.

Some of this was just Irving missing shots, but the Bucks still played much stronger defense on him than in Game 1. Bledsoe, especially, was more aggressive and really set the tone early on when he blocked Irving at the rim on an alley-oop in the opening minutes.

Bledsoe and the Bucks’ defense kept Irving off-balance early and Irving could never recover his rhythm, taking out a huge weapon for the Celtics’ offense.

The third quarter, in particular, was one of the best quarters by a Bucks defense this year. Milwaukee positively locked up the Boston offense, holding them to just 18 points in the frame and in the final seven minutes held them to just two points on 1-of-12 shooting and six turnovers.

With the defense forcing turnovers and missed shots, the Bucks’ offense could attack in transition and Giannis could go to work much earlier against a defense that wasn’t set.

The Bucks splashing in threes left and right will make the headlines, but the adjustments and the improved defense was the difference in this game and more important for the future of the series.