3 Studs, 3 duds from Milwaukee Bucks' huge win over the Boston Celtics
The Milwaukee Bucks took on the Boston Celtics last night in the battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and came out on top with a 104-91 victory.
The big talking point from the game however is the status of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP went down clutching his calf in the third quarter and didn't return to the game. Today we have received some positive news that Giannis has avoided damage to his left Achilles tendon and his return will depend upon the treatment on his calf.
With three games left of the regular season, Giannis will likely miss all of those. The extended break with the Play-In Tournament games gives him extra time to recover, but it feels as though he may miss the first playoff series. Calf injuries can be difficult to assess with some athletes overcoming them quickly and others seeing extended time out.
There is no doubt Giannis Antetokounmpo will want to play but now it is up to the rest of the roster to step up in his absence.
The Milwaukee Bucks huge win over the Boston Celtics
With the Bucks coming off of a four-game losing streak, it was integral that they broke that run before the postseason and who better to do it against than the best team in the league. Huge news coming into the game was that Malik Beasley was coming off the bench for the first time this season and that Patrick Beverley was starting in his place.
Boston was without starting center Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, so Xavier Tillman started at the five spot. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 22 points on 47.4 percent shooting. Jaylen Brown scored 14, and former Buck Jrue Holiday scored 12 as the only other Boston players to put up double figure points.
A weird piece of history was made last night with the game having the fewest free throw attempts since 1983. The Bucks had two attempts and the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to shoot zero free throws in a game. This is testament to the Bucks not fouling the Celtics, however, the Celtics have been well documented as one of the lesser driving teams in the league.
It was a fantastic first half for the Bucks, with them winning the first quarter 37-21 and then being up 63-43. Boston rallied in the third quarter but never managed to make the comeback. The Bucks held on to win 104-91.
With the round-up out of the way, let's take a look at some studs and duds from last night's Bucks' win over the Boston Celtics.