(2) CELTICS V. (7) BUCKS
GAME 1
MIL 107 @ BOS 113 • OT
Celtics-Bucks = the best opening round matchup!? With all of BOS's injuries, it's not a typical 2-7 meeting - Game 1 indicated we're in for a long, hard fought series.
A back and forth affair for most of the night, it went down to the wire - late heroics by Terry Rozier! (hit crossover-step back triple over E. Bledsoe) & Khris Middleton (hit 30+ footer with 0.5 seconds left to send it to OT) highlighted one of the most exciting Game 1s thus far.
Al Horford led 5 Celtics in double figures, finished w/ 24 points, 12 boards, 2 dimes, 3 blocks & 2 steals. Not a natural, high-volume scorer, Al was really aggressive forcing the issue & drawing fouls - shot 14! free throws.
Rozier (23), Marcus Morris (21! & 7 boards off bench), Jaylen Brown (20, 4 & 4 dimes) & Jayson Tatum (19, 10 boards, 4 dimes, 3 steals) all played big minutes & provided timely scoring.
Al Horford
DD - 24!, 12 boards, 4 dimes & 3 blocks
Tatum, in particular, helped seal the game in OT - he converted a euro --> reverse layup around Giannis & later blocked Malcolm Brogdon's runner (with under a minute to go) to secure the W.
Milwaukee fought valiantly but fell victim to 20 TOs and just 8/21 shooting from deep. G. Antetokounmpo (DD - 35!, 13 boards, 7 dimes & 3 steals) & K. Middleton (31!, 8 & 6 dimes) did their part...the others, not so much*.
Jabari Parker (14 min.) & Eric Bledsoe (9 pts, 4/12 shooting) need to play more efficiently & pick spots better. Otherwise, Boston will continue to force outside Js & dare MIL to beat them with shooting.
*Brogdon was solid off the pine (16, 4 & 3 dimes) but that's about it