Inside The Celtics

What Stood Out from the Celtics' Loss vs. Bucks: Boston Impresses While Playing Short-Handed

Despite suffering a 127-121 loss to the Bucks, playing shorthanded on the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics stayed true to a culture they're working hard to establish this season.

Bobby Krivitsky

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics didn't pull out a win on Thursday, but taking the Bucks down to the wire while playing shorthanded on the second night of a back-to-back is an encouraging performance that saw plenty of positive developments.

The standings are so congested that it's too early to know, but the loss may prove beneficial in the first round of the playoffs. Boston's loss, combined with the Sixers coming up short against a Raptors team resting some of their starters, means the Celtics are third in the East.

Boston's only half a game behind the Bucks, but as things stand, it means a matchup with the Bulls in the opening round.

Now, for an exploration into what stood out from the Celtics' 127-121 loss to Milwaukee.

Jaylen Brown Provides a Lift in Several Areas; Boston Struggles Protecting the Paint

At the end of a fast-paced first quarter, the Celtics found themselves trailing 36-29. Grant strip, fast game

They did a good job defending the three-point line, holding the Bucks to 2/10 from beyond the arc, but Milwaukee generated 20 points in the paint. Some of that stemmed from scoring 11 points off six turnovers by Boston. The Bucks also had a lot of success cutting, sealing off defenders, and getting two points around the rim.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with eight points. Jaylen Brown also scored eight, pacing the Celtics. 

Brown did so despite shooting 2/9, thanks in part to producing two trips to the free-throw line, going 3/4 in those opportunities. He also dished out five assists and grabbed five rebounds.

As a team, Boston assisted on eight of ten made field goals and went 6/12 on threes; the Celtics also scored seven fast-break points, but those six turnovers and struggles protecting the paint were at the root of why they were losing entering the second quarter.

Milwaukee Takes a Double-Digit Lead into the Break

Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Grant Williams took a hard hit on a clean screen by Brook Lopez. Williams stayed down after that, then went to the locker room. But after getting evaluated, he was cleared to return. He checked back in after about 3:30 of game time.

The Celtics grew frustrated with the officiating on several occasions. It was often justifiable as the referees somehow missed Khris Middleton elbowing Marcus Smart in the face as he drove by him en route to two points.

There was also a charge call against Smart despite George Hill being in the restricted area; Ime Udoka successfully challenged that ruling -- side note, when a team wins a challenge, it should get another one.

Less than two minutes later, Daniel Theis picked up a technical for expressing his displeasure with the lack of a foul call while Boston was on offense. On the TNT broadcast, Stan Van Gundy said Theis had been arguing with the officials for much of the game.

The Celtics entered the half down 69-59. Jaylen Brown led them with 13 points, and he also contributed eight rebounds and six assists. Derrick White chipped in 11. Smart had 10 points, including a flurry where he scored seven in 1:12.

Boston also benefitted from committing only one turnover in the second quarter. And the Celtics stayed hot from beyond the arc, knocking down 11/27 (40.7 percent) of their threes.

The problem was that Celtics' killer Khris Middleton scored 16 points in the first half, combining with Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday to produce 40 through two quarters.

The Bucks also did a great job taking care of the ball, turning it over just four times, and they generated 34 points in the paint.

Celtics' Offense Heats Up in the Third Quarter

The Celtics put 38 points on the board in the third quarter, their highest-scoring frame of the night. A 13-2 run early in the period made it a 73-72 game.

Boston stayed hot after that, shooting 14/23 (60.9 percent) from the field, including 7/13 (53.8 percent) on threes. 

The Celtics assisted on 12 of 14 made field goals and produced 14 points in the paint. They did so despite Brown picking up his fourth foul, which forced him to sit out the last 5:09 of the quarter.

Theis stepped up, leading all scorers with 15 points in the frame, including six after Brown went out. He finished with 22.

Smart, who scored 14 points and dished out four assists in the quarter, matching Brown for the most in the period, also played a vital role in keeping this game competitive while Brown sat.

But as was a theme all night, Boston had trouble holding Milwaukee to one possession. That included a sequence where the Bucks grabbed three offensive rebounds, scoring on their fourth chance when Middleton lofted an entry pass to Antetokounmpo, who got two points over the much shorter Derrick White.

The Bucks grabbed seven offensive rebounds and produced eight second-chance points in the third quarter, helping them take a 102-97 lead into the fourth.

Bucks Rally Down the Stretch

The Celtics opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run, courtesy of Payton Pritchard, that tied the game at 102. Derrick White then drained a pull-up jumper that gave Boston a two-point lead.

With 9:02 left in the game, Brown missed a pair of free throws, and Holiday came down and drained a three that put Milwaukee up 109-107. Brown was terrific in this game, but that sequence impacted momentum, which is fickle but had been on Boston's side.

But the Celtics kept fighting, ripping off a 7-0 run that included Luke Kornet disrupting Antetokounmpo at the rim, fueling a transition opportunity for Pritchard, who bumped Middleton to create separation before going up for a layup that gave Boston a 114-109 lead with 7:32 remaining.

That prompted the Bucks to take a timeout. They recaptured the lead and momentum afterward, going on a 9-2 run. As well as the Celtics played, their struggles taking care of the ball and limiting Milwaukee to one possession did them in down the stretch.

In the final five minutes, Boston coughed the ball up twice, and the Bucks grabbed two offensive rebounds, including Holiday cleaning up his miss to put them ahead 124-121 with a minute left, helping them go on a 9-0 run to rally for a 127-121 win.

Despite the loss, this was a strong showing by a shorthanded Celtics team against the defending champions, who were at full strength and playing in their building. It's a performance they can draw confidence from moving forward; something said with a potential playoff matchup with Milwaukee in mind.

That includes Brown notching his second-career triple-double -- both happened this season. Despite spending time on the bench due to foul trouble, he did so with over nine minutes left in the game.

Brown finished with 22 points. He also had a game-high 11 assists, and he led Boston with ten rebounds. Brown didn't have the most efficient shooting night, going 8/20 (40 percent) from the field, but he consistently attacked the basket, generating a team-high 12 points in the paint.

What was even more impressive was the job he did as a facilitator. Brown was the focal point of the offense tonight, and he often created quality shots for his teammates by taking advantage of the extra attention he got.

In the following play, the Celtics set high ball screens to the left and right of Brown. Brook Lopez is below the screen, and Brown quickly eats up that space, building momentum as he comes downhill. Wesley Matthews hits the deck trying to fight over Theis' pick, and the latter's roll to the rim forces Holiday to rotate to the basket. When Brown elevates, he doesn't tip his hand, holding Holiday in place. He then swivels to the opposite corner and delivers a pass right into Smart's shooting pocket, and with luck on his side, Smart hits the three.

Brown also swatted Antetokounmpo as he tried to euro-step his way to a layup.

Smart also deserves praise for his performance as a playmaker, dishing out seven assists and deserving credit for a few more of the hockey variety.

He also scored a season-high 29 points, matching Antetokounmpo and Holiday for the game-high. Smart did so on 10/16 (62.5 percent) shooting, including going 7/12 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc. He also swiped two steals.

It was also encouraging to see Derrick White provide 19 points, knocking down six of his 13 shots (46.2 percent), including 4/8 threes. There were areas the Celtics could've played better, and doing so may have changed the outcome. But players should feel good about their performance. Tonight offered a lot more positives than negatives, including the Celtics reinforcing the culture they're establishing this season.

After the game, coach Udoka said: "What I told the guys, great effort overall. Experience for a lot of guys that we're going to depend on going forward."

Up Next

The Celtics' regular-season finale is against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night. Tip-off is at 7:00 ET. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

What Stood Out from the Celtics' Win vs. Bulls: Boston Asserts Its Dominance Early, Doesn't Let Up

[Film Room] In Sunday's Win Against the Wizards, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's Growth as Facilitators was Evident

Robert Williams Says He's in a Great Place Physically and Mentally as He Works Towards His Return

Al Horford on His Potential Availability for Playoff Series with Raptors: "We're clear on it, and I'll be ready to play wherever."

Robert Williams Has Torn Meniscus: Where Do the Celtics Go from Here?

[Photos and Videos] Celtics Raise Kevin Garnett's #5 to the Rafters

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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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