3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ Christmas win over Boston Celtics
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks certainly know how to put on a nationally televised show, don’t they?
Yesterday’s Christmas matchup against the Boston Celtics was about as dramatic as it could get as the two teams clocked in an instant classic. It did not look that way early on as Boston built up an early 19 point lead and appeared to be in firm control. Yet, Milwaukee bounced back with an impressive 43-point third quarter to cut it close heading to the fourth, where the battle carried on. It was wire-to-wire down the stretch, and with the clock ticking, Wesley Matthews showed off his clutch heroics by burying a 3-pointer to give the Bucks their first lead of the game with 30 seconds left to play. They never looked back and secured the 117-113 win, the perfect Christmas gift.
A huge talking point heading into this matchup was the health surrounding the Bucks. Their injury report looked as clean as it has all season as they got a few notable players back in the lineup after some extended absences, some longer than others. It was beyond welcoming to see a few familiar faces back out on the court for Milwaukee, and they undoubtedly left an impression. With all that being said, let us take a look at three big takeaways from the game.
Donte DiVincenzo’s season debut for the Milwaukee Bucks was justifiably quiet, but they are glad to have him back
It has been a long road to recovery for Donte DiVincenzo, who underwent ankle surgery this past June. After being cleared to return on December 15 after missing all of the regular season to that point, he was immediately forced to enter the league’s health and safety protocols. That pushed his return date back 10 days as he finally made his season debut in yesterday’s game. Not much was expected of DiVincenzo right from the jump in his debut, as it would take time for him to get back up to speed, but everyone was tuned in to see how he would perform.
The guard did not provide too much to interpret throughout his 15-and-a-half minutes played as he scored three points on 1-of-4 shooting while pulling down two rebounds. His lone made basket was a 3-pointer that cut Milwaukee’s deficit to single-digits during the third quarter, which helped as they made their run. DiVincenzo also played solid defense, which will be a significant boost as he returns to form over the next few months, giving the Bucks another versatile piece to utilize in the second unit. Interestingly enough, DiVincenzo finished with a single-game +/- of +13, the third-best on the team behind Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.
Though he did not stuff the stat sheet or dazzle in his return, it was great to see DiVincenzo take the floor for the first time since Milwaukee’s last first round series against the Miami Heat. Given his role last year before the injury, everyone knows how crucial DiVincenzo can be for this Bucks team, and it should show as he regains his footing. Welcome back, Donte!