Celtics vs. Bucks: Injury report, 3 keys, and a prediction as Jayson Tatum gets his first crack at Milwaukee

Jayson Tatum returns as the 7-2 Celtics visit the slumping Bucks in Milwaukee. Get the injury report, starters, three keys to the game, and a score prediction.

Apr 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Four days after the Boston Celtics held off a late Milwaukee push at TD Garden, the teams meet again in Milwaukee. Jayson Tatum sat out the first game to rest, so tonight is his first look at a Bucks team that has lost five straight. 

Records: Celtics 7-2 (2-2 on the road), Bucks 1-8 (1-4 at home) 

Broadcast details

• Tip-off: 8:00 PM ET, Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee 
• TV: NBC Sports Boston, NBA League Pass

Projected Starters

• Celtics: Derrick White, Paul George, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta
• Bucks: Tyler Herro, Brayden Burries, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Jaime Jaquez, Jr.

Officials: 

Kevin Scott (#24), Jonathan Sterling (#17), Pat O'Connell (#90)

Injury report

• Celtics: Mitchell Robinson (illness) has been upgraded from questionable to available
• Bucks: Gary Trent Jr. (illness) has been downgraded from questionable to OUT.

Here's your full-season Celtics guide, with the full roster, schedule, salaries, and more.

Season Series

Boston won 103-97 and leads the season series 1-0. The Celtics led by 22 at one point and led 62-41 at halftime, but Tyler Herro scored 18 of his 25 points in the third quarter, and a Nate Ament free throw gave the Bucks a 92-91 lead early in the fourth. Boston closed the game 12-5 over the last three minutes.

• Paul George: 25 points, five 3-pointers
• Derrick White: 24 points, 7 assists

The Teams Coming In

Boston won 119-80 at Charlotte on Friday and is 2-1 in its last three, with a 109-93 loss at Houston on Nov. 2. Milwaukee lost 121-107 at home to Toronto on Friday, its fifth straight loss.

Three Keys to the Game

Turnovers: The Celtics scored 15 points off 10 first-half turnovers in their first matchup, but they scored only two points off five turnovers in the second half. Was that because Boston backed off the aggressiveness, or did the Bucks figure something out? The answer will determine whether Boston is able to build a big lead again or if this will be a fight. 

Hitting shots: Yes, I understand I’m being Mr. Obvious by saying the team that hits shots will win. HOWEVER, the reason I bring this up is that Milwaukee is currently shooting a little worse at home than they are on the road. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is shooting 51.7% on the road but 45.5% at home. Myles Turner is shooting 48% on the road but 30% at home. AJ Green is shooting 47.8% on the road but 41.4% at home. Those are key role players who are weirdly worse at home. If they can’t hit shots, it won’t matter if Tyler Herro gets hot or not.

White and Pritchard building on success: They both had great shooting nights in Charlotte. I’m hoping starting Queta keeps some continuity that allows both of them to keep their roll going.

Prediction

The Celtics did all that damage to Milwaukee without Jayson Tatum, and now he’s back, so I don’t think they blow another big lead this time around. I also don’t think it gets as out of hand as the first game. I’m going with a comfortable 115-99 win. 

Make sure you come back for postgame coverage here on Celtics On SI, and on the Locked On Celtics podcast.