The Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Boston Celtics in the East Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks won’t have Khris Middleton available but are still one of the best teams in the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
Sunday, May 1, 2022 – 01:00 PM EDT at TD Garden
Matchup
Honestly, whoever wins this series will likely win the NBA Championship. These are the two best teams in the East. I’m sorry if you’re a Heat fan but it’s true.
Let’s not forget that the Celtics just swept the Brooklyn Nets in four games in the quarterfinals. A lot of blame for this type of series goes on the Nets but those who blame the Nets forget to give credit to the Celtics. The Nets didn't make free throws or play the best defense against the Celtics.
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But Boston played incredibly defensively on Kevin Durant and the Nets. They avoided big games from the Nets’ star players and that’s ultimately what they’ll have to do with Milwaukee.
Defense
Sure, Milwaukee has more depth compared to the Nets. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is struggling offensively, other guys can step up, unlike the Nets. But still, the expectation is that the Celtics will have a really good defensive plan against the Bucks for the entire series. Just like they did against the Nets.
The Celtics allowed 106.9 points per 100 possessions during the regular season and gave up an effective field goal percentage of just 50.4%. Both of those numbers were the best numbers in the NBA this season. The defense simply matches up well with what Milwaukee's trying to do. I mean, realistically, Boston’s defense matches up against any team very well.
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Meanwhile, the Bucks are just an average defense. Milwaukee won't force turnovers at a high rate and continue to allow higher quality looks, giving up an effective field goal percentage of 53.9%. The Bucks have been able to limit offensive rebounds and foul shots but overall, the defense still gave up an average of 112 points per 100 possessions this season.
With Khris Middleton unavailable, the Bucks might have to adjust after the first couple of games.
Prediction
With that being said, I like the Celtics to get the job done at home. Boston is hungry, healthy, prepared, and confident. Meanwhile, Milwaukee doesn’t have a key piece on their team for this series with Middleton out and if Giannis gets trapped and doubled teams by a longer Celtics team, things aren’t going to look very hot for Milwaukee in this matchup.
The Bucks took care of business against the Bulls. We can’t take anything away from them there. But in the first game of the series, the Celtics, at home, will be more prepared and ready to go. Boston didn’t even have to break a sweat against the Nets.
The Celtics play better defense and have more options on the offensive end. People are saying that Jayson Tatum is the best player in the NBA. He’s got to beat Giannis first.
NBA Pick: Celtics -4.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
