Just when it seemed like the Milwaukee Bucks might be gearing up for another huge win streak, they ran into some trouble against a familiar foe in the Boston Celtics last night.
The well-rested Celtics rallied back from an early double-digit deficit to take control of this game throughout the entire second half. Knocking down 20 of their 47 3-pointers on the night, Boston exploited Milwaukee’s lackluster perimeter defense all game long. Their prolific outside shooting helped the Celtics secure a 117-103 win on their home floor, handing the Bucks their 11th loss of the season. Although they were on the second night of a back-to-back, seeing the Bucks drop this one still stings, especially after they were in control early. With all that being said, here are three takeaways from last night’s loss in Boston.
The Milwaukee Bucks had no answer to Jayson Tatum’s offensive onslaught in loss to Boston Celtics
For whatever reason, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum loves playing the Bucks. Highlighted by his phenomenal game-winning bank shot during the 2020-21 season opener, Tatum has had no shortage of fantastic performances when he is up against the Bucks. Unfortunately, that trend continued last night as he clocked in a fantastic performance to help propel his team to victory.
Tatum was unstoppable offensively as he scored 42 points on 16-of-25 (64 percent) shooting from the floor, including 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from behind the arc. Jrue Holiday was playing physical defense with the forward all night long, but that did not deter Tatum. Still, he sought out switches whenever he could, and when someone other than Holiday was not matched up against him, it seemed inevitable that Tatum would get yet another basket to go down.
Grueling games like this are where the Bucks miss second unit staples like Wesly Matthews and Semi Ojeleye. Both are known for their robust defense and ability to match up with elite scorers, which the Bucks certainly could have used last night. However, that is not an excuse for Tatum’s big night as Milwaukee has other dynamic defenders that were available. It was just one of those nights as Tatum took over and tallied a season-high 42 points. The Bucks will get another shot at defending him on Christmas when these two teams meet again.