3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ nail-biting win over Boston Celtics
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks welcomed the Boston Celtics to Fiserv Forum last night for their final home matchup of the 2021-22 NBA regular season. Not only was this a significant game because of the rivalry between these two teams, but the Bucks also had a chance to even the season series up at two games apiece, which would have huge implications on the Eastern Conference standings with the playoffs on the horizon.
Ultimately, the Bucks managed to handle their business, but it was far from smooth sailing as the ever-pesky Celtics gave them a run for their money. That notion is highlighted by the fact that this game had 21 lead changes and nine ties throughout, with both teams trading haymakers during a 48-minute span. In the end, the Bucks delivered the final blow as they secured a 127-121 victory over the Celtics, tying up the season series and moving up to the second seed in the East. With all that being said, let us take a closer look at three takeaways from last night’s thrilling contest.
Last night showed that the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense still needs tightening up, particularly from 3-point range
It is no secret that opposing teams tend to catch fire from 3-point range when they are playing the Bucks, which is precisely what happened with the Celtics last night. Their prolific shooting was one of the reasons the short-handed Celtics managed to keep this game close as they shot a scorching 21-of-50 (42 percent) from behind the arc.
Marcus Smart led the charge for Boston by shooting a red-hot 7-of-12 from 3-point land en route to scoring a team-high 29 points for the game. Derrick White added four triples to Boston’s total, while Daniel Theis and Sam Hauser both knocked down three apiece. Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard and Jaylen Brown chipped in two triples each. It seemed like everyone on the Celtics found the hot hand at some point, which could be partially attributed to the Bucks’ 3-point defense.
Whether it be some subpar closeouts or a player simply losing track of their man, the Bucks had a few slip-ups defending the perimeter last night. In fact, considering that the Celtics had scored an eye-popping 97 points through three quarters, the Bucks’ overall defense could have been better. Yet, it was still their perimeter defense that stood out the most as yet another opponent hit 20 or more triples last night. That has become a common theme this season, and although the Bucks managed to secure the victory last night, that does not alleviate the issues moving forward.
In short, the Milwaukee Bucks must work to tighten up their defense.