Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Loss vs. Bucks: Shorthanded Visitors Fight Valiantly, But Inability to Close Quarters Proves Costly

How the Celtics got close to winning the season series against the Bucks and why that didn't happen.

Bobby Krivitsky

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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Tuesday night, the shorthanded Celtics limited the Bucks to under 30 points in three of four quarters. Between that and feasting off turnovers, converting 19 giveaways by Milwaukee into 27 points, Boston forced overtime against a Milwaukee team only missing trade-deadline acquisition Jae Crowder from its rotation.

And with the visitors leading 123-118 with 2:13 left in the fifth frame, they put themselves in a position to win the regular-season series, but the Bucks, again being the better team to close a quarter, resulted in a 13-2 run by the hosts, rallying for a 131-125 win.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out in Tuesday night's tilt, a game that paralleled what happened when these two teams met in Milwaukee in the second-to-last regular season matchup last year, a contest where the Celtics, without Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams, and Al Horford, nearly pulled off an upset.

Celtics Reinforce They're the Deepest Team in the NBA

Jayson Tatum's All-Star break has already started. Boston won't have Jaylen Brown until it returns from its upcoming vacation, which might apply to Marcus Smart. The Celtics were also without Al Horford on Tuesday night and might be again on Wednesday vs. the Pistons.

Due to a lengthy injury report, Mike Muscala, playing in his third game with the Celtics, got the start. Blake Griffin joined him in the starting lineup, while Robert Williams, dealing with a left ankle sprain, came off the bench. Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Grant Williams rounded out the group that first took the floor for Boston.

Even with the Celtics shorthanded, facing their top competition in the East and arguably the NBA, in their gym no less, Boston built a 20-12 lead almost halfway through the opening frame.

With the visitors repeatedly attacking downhill, a charge led by White, often working his way in and around the paint, the Celtics' inside-out operation consistently created high-quality shots.

That included ten points from Muscala before the six-minute mark, as he knocked down a pair of threes off the catch, cut down the middle as White worked the baseline, resulting in two points at the rim, and Moose showed off a soft touch on a floater from in close.

Muscala didn't score after that, but he was the only player on either side to reach double-figures.

Jrue Holiday helped the Bucks go an 11-2 burst, scoring five of those points and assisting on a Giannis Antetokounmpo hook shot, as the hosts pulled ahead 23-22 with less than four minutes remaining in the opening period.

But in a testament to the caliber of Boston's depth, the Celtics struck back, ending the first quarter on a 13-4 run, with players staying active off the ball, White and Malcolm Brogdon getting downhill, leading to quality shots, and making sure the rock moved from side to side.

They shot 52 percent from the floor in the first frame and assisted on ten of 13 makes.

The visitors also played with considerable energy defensively, reflected by the four Milwaukee turnovers that Boston converted into seven points.

That two-way productivity resulted in the Celtics claiming a 35-27 advantage after the game's first 12 minutes. And while they trailed by one at halftime, putting up 63 points under these circumstances against this opponent on the road is pretty impressive.

And as it did in the first period, Boston held Milwaukee under 30 points in the third, outscoring the hosts 32-26, taking a 95-90 lead into the final frame.

The Celtics did so again in the fourth quarter, yielding only 26 points. And while they only manufactured 21, that proved enough to force overtime under challenging circumstances, as Hauser buried a three over Khris Middleton from 29 feet, tying the game at 116 with three seconds left.

Despite being shorthanded, Boston's second unit outscored the Bucks' bench 38-33. Brogdon led that charge with 26 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

The visitors also got 18 points and eight rebounds from Muscala, whose 44 minutes were the second-most on the team behind Grant Williams' 47.

Derrick White Steps into Starring Role

As touched on in the section above, White was outstanding again on Tuesday. He's more comfortable and aggressive in his second season in Boston, and the Celtics benefit greatly from it.

White, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week last week, the first time he's earned that honor in either conference, did an outstanding job orchestrating the offense against the Bucks.

Last season, White mostly improved Boston's ball movement through his work as a connector, making quick decisions when the rock came his way. Indoctrinated in the Spurs' offensive system, predicated on choosing what to do with the ball in half a second, that ability hasn't left White.

But with more time in Boston and familiarity with his teammates and the coaching staff, White's making more of an impact initiating the offense.

Tuesday, he registered 14 points and seven assists in the first half, leading the Celtics in the former category and all participants in the latter after 24 minutes. He finished with a team-high 27 points, 12 assists, the most in the matchup, and tied Holiday for a game-high with three steals.

Blake Griffin Steps Up Once Again for Shorthanded Celtics

Boston also got a significant boost from Blake Griffin on Tuesday. He drilled 3/6 threes, producing 15 points, also capitalizing on mismatches at the rim out of the pick-and-roll and from running the floor in transition.

Griffin also grabbed six rebounds, dished out as many assists. And he was just fine on defense against Antetokounmpo on a night the Celtics were without Horford, and Robert Williams played 13 minutes off the bench, including only coming in for the final play in overtime.

The End of the Middle Quarters a Killer for Boston

The Bucks staged a 10-0 run late in the second frame, propelling them to a 61-60 advantage on a Joe Ingles three off a feed from Holiday with 1:03 left in the first half. They outscored the Celtics 13-3 to close the quarter, taking a 64-63 lead into the break.

And in a third period where Boston outpaced Milwaukee 32-26, a frame where the hosts only had 12 points with three minutes left in the quarter, they generated 14 points to the visitors' seven in the remainder of the period, including a 12-3 advantage in the final two minutes.

Holiday scored eight of the Bucks' final 12 points, including swishing a three from halfcourt to beat the buzzer, cutting the deficit from 14 to five with 12 minutes remaining.

Milwaukee parlayed the momentum from that close to the quarter into a 19-3 run, stretching into the start of the fourth frame.

The Bucks also went on a 13-0 burst in the fourth quarter, taking a 113-107 lead on a Holiday three with 3:51 remaining.

And with the Celtics ahead 123-118 with 2:13 left in the fifth frame, Milwaukee closed overtime on a 13-2 run, rallying for a 131-125 win.

Holiday generated a game-high 40 points, including a three from the left wing that gave the hosts a 127-125 advantage with 25 seconds remaining. He also dished out seven assists, grabbed five rebounds, and swiped three steals. He was the driving force for the Bucks on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points. And while he struggled at the free-throw line, going 11/19, he also grabbed 13 rebounds, leading all participants in that category, distributed a team-best nine assists, and blocked two shots, a game high.

Up Next

The Celtics host the Pistons on Wednesday, their last game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Grant Williams Reportedly Seeking Contract In the $20 Million Annually Range

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Grizzlies

Jayson Tatum to Participate in 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend

Celtics Guard Wins NBA Player of the Week For First Time in Career After Massive Week

Celtics Guard Payton Pritchard Opens up After Not Being Dealt Ahead of NBA Trade Deadline

Mike Muscala on Celtics Debut: 'a Blessing, it was Fun'

Derrick White Discusses His Career Night and Matching a Celtics Franchise Record

Celtics Reportedly 'Engaged' with Several Potential Buyout Candidates

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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