Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for in Game 3 against Boston Celtics

Finding that spark

After having the most efficient offensive performance of their playoff run in their 112-90 Game 1 win over the Bucks to open up the series, Game 2 wasn’t so kind to the Celtics on that end of the floor.

Milwaukee’s change to switching defensively and relying on their help defense to flummox Boston offensively worked to perfection as it took them out of the comfort zone and disconnected the egalitarian offense head coach Brad Stevens prizes from his group of players.

While Irving’s and Jayson Tatum‘s respective poor outings stood out within the starting lineup, the Celtics didn’t field the same contributions they got off the bench in Game 1 as the bench unit combined to go 11-of-28 from the field (39.3 percent) and some of those makes were helped by their clean up crew in the fourth quarter when the game was all but done.

With the Bucks already switching up their defensive tactics, that obviously gives one more thing for the Celtics to game plan for heading into Game 3, and Stevens said himself after Game 2 that he knew the Bucks wouldn’t have a repeat performance of the opening contest in the series.

But for all the preparations the Celtics can make offensively if the Bucks elect to stick with what worked so well for them in Game 2, it’s on them to execute and find a new dimension to improve what has been a below average offense in terms of efficiency during this postseason.

Game 3 of Bucks-Celtics will tip off a 7 p.m. central time Friday night and you can catch the game on ESPN.