The Boston Celtics leveled the playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks with a 109-86 Game 2 win. Jaylen Brown shoots the Celts with an early offensive explosion on the road to victory, and the defense chills the champion.
Brown scored 30 points (6/10 threes) and racked up 5 rebounds and 6 assists en route to a 1-1 equalizer in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He scored 17 points in the first quarter alone when Boston gained an early advantage. Brown took over offensively, and the defense made life extremely difficult for the reigning champion – although DPOY Marcus Smart was missing due to a thigh contusion.
In the meantime, Boston pulled away to 26 points before the offense got more problems in the course of the game. In the final section, however, Jayson Tatum was there with important buckets to keep Milwaukee at bay. He scored 10 of his 29 points in the final round, and Grant Williams (21, 6/9 threes) also put in a strong performance.
The latter even unnerved Giannis Antetokounmpo with his defense, who still had 28 points (11/27 FG), 9 rebounds and 7 assists after a weak first half. Jrue Holiday contributed 19 points and 7 assists, otherwise only Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton (13 each) cracked the double digits. Both teams now have a three-day break before the series continues on Sunday night in Milwaukee.
Derrick White moved into the Celtics’ starting five for Smart, otherwise there were no changes on either side. But the most important adjustment the Celtics made compared to Game 1 was something else: hitting shots. The ball ran very well through our own ranks right from the start, two successful middle-distance shots and a corner three made for a 7-0 start. Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, only got difficult finishes outside the zone and started 0/6 from the field.
Jaylen Brown catches fire – Celtics kill Giannis and Co
On the other end of the spectrum was Brown, who was on a mission in the first quarter to make his weak Game 1 forget. He blocked a holiday jumper followed by a three of his own (+15), a little later he crossed Grayson Allen onto the boards and sank the midrange jumper. The 25-year-old was now unstoppable, ending a smaller Bucks run with a stepback three-pointer. Outstanding Brown Quarter – 32:21 for Boston.
The Celtics defense also showed a dominant start and a strong second quarter, Grant Williams presented himself as something like the Giannis stopper – mostly without double teams. Brown was still on fire, his next triple was +17. The hosts also shone with their ball movement, the lead grew to 25 points. It was 65:40 at half-time.
After the change of sides, Boston’s offense had significantly more problems, in the first 7 minutes of the third quarter the home side only got 7 points on the scoreboard. Giannis now woke up (18 in the third quarter), Milwaukee shortened with a 10-0 run. With a big lineup and Tatum’s scoring, Boston recovered, 83:66 Boston after three rounds.
However, Boston was now getting caught in isolation too often, which was not good for the offense. The throwing luck was gone now, too, so that Milwaukee crawled back slowly but surely. As the Celtics lead dwindled to 12 points, Tatum sunk an important three-pointer. Two and a half minutes, the All-Star struck again from the corner, followed by a Williams triple. Suddenly Boston was down to +21 again and the game was over.
The most important statistics
Boston Celtics (2) – Milwaukee Bucks (3) 109:86 (BOXSCORE), Serie: 1-1
- In just eight minutes, Brown had equaled his Game 1 scoring total. The guard was completely on fire, he probably played the best quarter of his life. At least times of his playoff career, according to ESPN Stats & Info Brown has never scored more points in a postseason than his 17 points in Game 2. At halftime he had a near-perfect 25 (9/10 FG, 5/5 trebles).
- Bucks fans look away, here are the bare numbers of the outstanding Celtics offense in the first half: After the first 24 minutes, Boston had an offensive rating of 137.8, the home side hit 59 percent from the field and 65 percent from downtown (13/20). The strong ball movement enabled numerous good and free shots, which, in contrast to game 1, mostly fell (17 assists with 23 successful field goals).
- sea ESPN Boston missed 19 uncontested threes in game 1, but in the second duel the shooting was backwards for everyone involved. Not only Brown, but also role players like Grant Williams (6/9) and Payton Pritchard (2/4) were there from a distance – with the exception of the still weak Derrick White (0/4). In the second half, however, Boston was no longer as high percentage, overall the Celtics were at 20/43.
- That was still enough for a huge advantage from the three-point line – Boston scored 51 points more from distance! Milwaukee hardly managed to get open throws against the strong Celtics defense. In the first half, the guests only fired eight times from downtown anyway, and the Bucks ended the game with 3/18 threes (16.7 percent). Milwaukee tried to make up for that with a clear advantage in the zone (54:24).
The star of the game: Grant Williams
After Brown’s superb first quarter, that award could almost have been bagged up and placed in the 25-year-old’s locker, but as the game progressed, Williams gradually stole the spotlight. Defensively, he stood in Giannis’ way excellently, on the other side of the court he widened the field with his threes. Excellent two-way game.
The flop of the game: Grayson Allen
The 26-year-old scored in double digits four times in a row, including 22- and 27-point games against Chicago. But in Game 2, Allen was hardly a factor, finishing the game with just 5 points on 4 shots (0/1 trebles). There has to be more.
The scene of the game
Grayson Allen’s face actually said it all, a fat “Oh No” could be seen in the eyes of the Bucks guard as he sat on the court with his trousers on. Brown had him with one Badly caught in one-on-one crossoverthen he also sank the midrange jumper over his lying victim.
NBA Playoffs: Celtics vs. Bucks – The Series at a Glance (1-1)
| Spiel | Datum | time | Heim | away | result |
| 1 | 1st May | 19 o’clock | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 89:101 |
| 2 | 4. May | 1 O ‘clock | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | 109:86 |
| 3 | May 7 | 9:30 p.m | Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | – |
| 4 | May 10 | 1:30 | Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | – |
| 5* | 12. May | TBD | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | – |
| 6* | 14. May | TBD | Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | – |
| 7* | 16. May | TBD | Boston Celtics | Milwaukee Bucks | – |
*if necessary