Boston Celtics (8-2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2-7) Game #11 11/10/24

The Celtics are on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second of three games this season. They defeated the Celtics 119-108 in Boston on October 28th. They will meet for the third and final time in Boston on December 6th. Last season the series ended 2-2, with each team winning two home games. The Celtics are 119-114 overall against the Bucks and 43-74 in games in Milwaukee.

The Celtics remained mostly unchanged in the offseason, returning their entire roster and only losing Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. They added Baylor Scheierman, who was the 30th pick in the draft, and signed second-round pick Anton Watson to a two-way contract. You have a free roster spot. They also put a few points on their shoulders after the Olympic disruptions and other dramas in the summer.

The Bucks made several changes in the offseason after a disappointing 49-33 finish in the 2023-24 season. They parted ways with Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jae Crowder, Danilo Gallinari and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. They added veterans Taurean Prince, Gary Trent, Jr. and Delon Wright. They also added freshmen AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith.

The Bucks have been alternating home and away games lately. The Bucks played Cleveland at home and then Cleveland on the road. They then returned home to play jazz before heading to New York to play with the Knicks. And now they’re back home to take on the Celtics in the first of three home games. They host Toronto and Detroit before hitting the road to play the Hornets.

The Celtics have played 6 of 10 games on the road so far. They went on a 4-game road trip, finishing 3-1, then returned home to play the Warriors and Nets before hitting the road again to play the Bucks. After this game, they return home to play the Atlanta Hawks and then away again to play the Brooklyn Nets. Then back home for two games against the Raptors and Cavaliers.

Jaylen Brown was upgraded from out to questionable for this game after missing the last four games. I’ll be optimistic and have Jaylen added to the starting lineup. If he can’t play, Joe will likely start again in the double-big lineup. Luke Kornet is questionable with a hip injury and Jalen Springer is questionable with a knee injury. Finally, Kristaps Porzingis is out as he needs to rehab after ankle surgery.

The Bucks will miss Kris Middleton as he rehabs from ankle surgery. He has been cleared for 3-on-3 practice but has yet to play 5-on-5. Gary Trent, Jr. is questionable due to back spasms and will be a game-time decision. Andre Jackson, Jr., who started in Trent’s place, is also questionable with a hip injury. If neither Trent nor Jackson can play, Pat Connaughton will likely start. Finally, Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely as he deals with patellar tendinopathy.

Likely Celtics starters

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Celtics reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser

2-way player
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anthony Watson

Injuries/losses
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is out
Jaylen Brown (hip) questionable
Luke Kornet (hamstring injury) questionable
Jaden Springer (knee) questionable

Head coach
Joe Mazzulla

Likely Bucks starters

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Bucks reserves
MarJon Beauchamp
Pat Connaughton
Andre Jackson, Jr
AJ Johnson
Chris Livingston
Bobby Portis, Jr
Tyler Smith
Delon Wright

Two-way player
Liam Robbins
Ryan Rollins
Stanley Umude

Injuries/losses
AJ Green (toe) probably
Khris Middleton (ankle) is out
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) probably

Head coach
Doc Rivers

Key Matches

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• Jaylen Brown
  
  

  Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
  

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  Giannis Antetokounmpo
  
  

Jaylen Brown vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.1 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He is shooting 60.5% from the field and has yet to make a 3 this season. I have Jaylen Brown starting here, but since he is questionable, he may not play. If Brown is out, it will likely be Jayson Tatum starting at small forward again. It will be important to stick with Giannis and try to limit his scoring and rebounding.

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  Jrue holiday
  
  

  Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
  

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  Damian Lillard
  
  

  Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
  

Jrue Holiday vs. Damian Lillard
Lillard is averaging 27.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He shoots 46.0% from the field and 36.9% from distance. This is a personal matter for Jrue, who was traded by the Bucks for Damian Lillard. Lillard may be able to replace Jrue’s offense, but can’t come close to replacing his defense and intangibles.

Honorable mention
Al Horford vs. Brook Lopez
Lopez is averaging 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. His shooting percentage was 39.7% from the field and 26.2% from distance. Again, if Jaylen can’t play, Al will likely move to forward while Neemias Queta or Xavier Tillman starts at center.

Key to the game
defense – Defense is always the most important key to victory. Defense really wins championships. The Celtics climbed to 5th place with a defensive rating of 108.7. The Bucks rank 22nd with a defensive rating of 115.7. The Celtics held the Bucks to a 25.8% shooting percentage from distance in their first meeting. The Celtics will have to work harder on defense than the Bucks and continue to focus on defense to avoid giving the Bucks easy baskets.

rebound – In addition to defense, rebounding is always an important key to victory. As Pat Riley once said, “No rebounds, no rings.” The key to rebounding is effort and focus. They were outrebounded in 6 of 10 games this season. They are 5-0 when out-rebounded or tied with their opponents and just 3-2 when out-rebounded. The Bucks are 16th with 43.7 rebounds per game, while the Celtics are 17th with 43.6 rebounds per game. The Celtics will have to fight harder to outrebound the Bucks in this game.

Don’t underestimate money – The Bucks haven’t played well and are just 2-7 so far this season. However, the Bucks are still a rival in the Eastern Conference that has two very good stars. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are very dangerous and have some strong players around them. There’s a good chance the Celtics will see them in the playoffs at some point. The Celtics need to be at their best on the boards and on defense for the entire game, not just two quarters.

^{3-point shooting – The Celtics lead the league with an average of 51.4 three-point shots per game. They shoot 36% from the field as they operate as a team from off the court. In games like Friday’s against the Nets, the Celtics struggled from beyond the arc and therefore had to find other ways to score and increase their defensive efforts until they could hit some threes again. The Celtics need to work on getting open and moving the ball to get the best shots. If the three don’t fall, they have to bring the ball inside.}

X factors
On the road and revenge – The Celtics are on the road and therefore have to be distracted with travel, being away from family, staying in hotels and playing in front of hostile crowds. They must stay focused and not allow these distractions to stop them from playing. Every team is doing its best to beat the Celtics, and the Bucks will have extra motivation to make up for their loss earlier in the season.

Coaching – Doc Rivers coached the Celtics from 2004 to 2013, retiring when the Celtics traded Pierce and Garnett to begin their rebuild. The Celtics had a relatively short rebuild and have been largely successful since his departure. Doc has struggled in each of his stints with the Clippers, the 76ers and now the Bucks. Doc would like to beat his former team, while the Celtics would like to beat their former coach.

Officiating – The office can always be an x-factor. Some referees consider the game to be close, others let it play. Some favor the home team, others think it’s even. Some referees just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit with the game on the field. And sometimes the referees are just bad. Giannis always seems to get more than his share of calls as he plows through players and leaves bodies in his wake on his way to the basket. He is third with 10.3 free throws per game. The Celtics have to play through whatever the referees call the game, whether it’s close, whether they let them play, or whether they make terrible decisions. The Celtics cannot allow bad or missing calls to affect their focus on the game.

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