Photo via Twitter / Bucks
With the Milwaukee Bucks making relatively quick work of the Chicago Bulls in the opening round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that the defending champions are well on their way to a repeat campaign, with another title in sight. That being said, the Eastern Conference has been tough for the entire 2021-22 season, and Milwaukee is about to find out how tough in the weeks ahead, with a conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics beginning on Sunday. Here is what to watch for ahead of what is sure to be one of the marquee series in this year’s postseason.
Momentum Can Be Everything
The Celtics are riding high right now, after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets, who were originally a favorite to win the NBA title at the beginning of this season. None of those wins were particularly commanding by the final score lines, which saw Boston winning all of their games by less than 10 points. However, the boost of knocking Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and a solid Nets team out of the playoffs would be enough of a confidence boost for any team to feel somewhat invincible. Boston took game one of that series on a last second layup from forward Jason Tatum, who is frankly underrated when it comes to his ability to take over games this year. The Celtics will be a very confident team when it comes time to take the floor on Sunday afternoon.
On the opposite side of the floor, the Bucks have things trending in the right direction as well, but perhaps not to the extent that the Celtics do. Milwaukee finished off the Bulls in five games, with game one looking ugly for both sides, and game two resulting in a loss to a team that they should have beaten fairly easily on paper. Fortunately for the Bucks, games three through five showed exactly what this team is capable of, as Giannis and company blew out Chicago in consecutive contests.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Regular Season Series
Milwaukee and Boston met four times this year, splitting the regular season series at two games each. The Celtics took the first two, winning a tight overtime game in November, and a 14-point victory at TD Garden in December. Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in the first meeting of the year. Both of Milwaukee’s wins over the Celtics came at Fiserv Forum, and both games were very tight up until the final minutes. While the series will be exciting, it would be safe to say that there likely will not be any lopsided score lines. Unfortunately for the Bucks, Boston also holds home court advantage in this series, which could very well go to six or seven games.
Missing Middleton
While Boston’s Jaylen Brown has a hamstring issue, he will likely be in the starting lineup on Sunday for game one. Milwaukee, however, will be without Khris Middleton, who is dealing with an MCL sprain that could sideline him for the entirety of this series. That will put the pressure on Giannis and Jrue Holiday to lead the offense for Milwaukee, but more importantly to do so when there’s a high-pressure situation. Middleton was, at the very least, another option to take the last shot when it counted most, and he could knock them down more often than not.
Giannis led the Bucks in scoring for all of their wins, save for game three, when Grayson Allen’s three-point barrage helped Milwaukee to the first of their lopsided wins. If you’re picking a bright spot for the Bucks coming out of that series, it’s that the bench has bolstered Milwaukee’s offense tremendously, with Allen and Portis stepping up in Middleton’s absence. Milwaukee will need that depth in order to make up for losing one of their stars, as well as George Hill, who has yet to appear in this postseason.
Much like last year’s championship run, expect the Eastern Conference semifinals to be a tough series that will be a highlight of the Bucks’ postseason. While it is winnable for Milwaukee, the Celtics will test what the defending champs are made of, making for some exciting games.
Game one of the Bucks-Celtics series tips off from TD Garden in Boston at 12 p.m. on Sunday, with coverage on ABC. Fans are encouraged to gather at Deer District for a watch party, which opens two hours before gametime.
