The Celtics were not in full force after the negotiation deadline, but that did not stop Boston from playing with energy and intensity, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in the 122-114 victory on Friday at the Fiserv Forum.
The Celtics dominated the game, giving up the lead to the Bucks for a brief period. Boston retreated in the third quarter while the 3 points continued to advance.
It was a balanced effort for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, led by Jayson Tatum, who had 34 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Marcus Smart (23 points), Kemba Walker (21 points, five assists) and Jaylen Brown (18 points, five rebounds) completed the production. The last member of the starting lineup, Robert Williams III, impressed in his first start of the season.
It was an important victory for the Celtics, who improved to 22-23 and broke Milwaukee’s streak of eight consecutive wins.
Boston ends its period of five games in seven days, finally, going through a last consecutive. The Celtics travel to face Oklahoma City at 9 pm on Saturday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Here are four lessons from Boston’s burst victory over Milwaukee:
Robert Williams III begins: With Daniel Theis out and Tristan Thompson out due to health and safety protocols, Stevens’ next natural choice was Williams, who made his first start to the season. Williams was on the court for 27 minutes, playing one of the best defensive basketballs of his career. And just like Stevens said before the game, Williams can fill out the stats sheet. Williams finished with seven points, nine rebounds, six assists and five blocks – impacting the game in almost every way imaginable. The 23-year-old continues to show why he is part of the building blocks of the Celtics while solidifying his defense of the center of the future.
The 3 points continued to fall: When the Celtics were running away with the game in the third quarter, it was far from the efforts of its long-range kick. Boston apparently couldn’t miss the third, going 9 to 14 behind the arc. The Bucks had few responses as the Celtics built their leadership. Boston finished 22-to-47 on 3 points on Friday, while the external shooting continues to look potent (the franchise’s record is 24 made out of 3 points).
The energy shines as the Celtics increase their energy: Perhaps it was a continuation of Wednesday’s late turnaround or the Celtics wanted to make a statement after the negotiation deadline. But Boston played at a noticeable pace that looked comfortable, but aggressive. The guys were in the overtaking lanes when the Bucks ended with 16 turns. The defense resisted Milwaukee’s attack, which is considered one of the best in the country. The Bucks hit many points out of 3, but they only shot 25 to 52 (48.1%) on 2 points. NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo also had slow games against the Celtics, ending with 16 points and eight rebounds on Friday.
First minutes Tacko, new faces: The Celtics were still acclimating their new pieces, which is why Stevens rolled with Tacko Fall as the backup center when Williams needed a breather earlier. Fall stood out on his 2.13 meter board, but he showed that it is still a little green to play consistent minutes. At the end of the game, Stevens even put newly acquired Moritz Wagner into the game. Wagner played 10 minutes and scored three points and five rebounds on C.’s debut.