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All of it comes right down to this: Recreation 7. The Celtics and Bucks have battled by way of 6 very robust and really exhausting fought video games. The Bucks received the primary sport convincingly 101-89 in Boston to steal residence court docket from the Celtics. The Celtics then returned the favor and received Recreation 2 on their residence court docket 109-86. When the collection shifted to Milwaukee for Recreation 3, the Bucks received a really shut 103-101 sport that was marred by some questionable calls down the stretch. In Recreation 4, the Celtics got here again from 11 down within the third quarter and seven down coming into the 4th quarter to win 116-108. The Celtics gave up a 14 level lead within the 4th quarter as they fell aside down the stretch and misplaced 110-107.
The Celtics fought exhausting on the finish of the common season to win their remaining sport and seize the 2nd seed. The Bucks and 76ers, then again, rested their gamers and did their highest to lose their final sport so as to keep away from having to play the Brooklyn Nets within the first spherical. The Celtics made it clear that they weren’t going to keep away from the Nets or anybody. The top result’s that the Celtics have residence court docket benefit in Recreation 7 within the Japanese Convention Semifinals.
To this point on this collection, nonetheless, residence court docket hasn’t meant all that a lot. The street crew has received 4 of the 6 video games within the collection up to now. The Bucks received Video games 1 and 5 in Boston whereas the Celtics received Video games 4 and 6 in Milwaukee. However that’s all behind them now as the 2 groups sq. off in Recreation 7 on the TD Backyard, the place the environment needs to be electrical in help of the Celtics. Historical past could be on the aspect of the house crew 76.8% of residence groups win Recreation 7.
The Celtics core has had some expertise in Recreation 7’s over their tenure with the Celtics. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Good had been on the crew that beat the Wizards in 2017. In addition they had been on the crew that beat the Bucks in Recreation 7 in 2018. They had been additionally on the crew that beat the Raptors in Recreation 7 within the Bubble in 2020. Their lone loss got here within the 2018 Japanese Convention Finals towards LeBron’s Cavaliers. The Bucks have the newest expertise in Recreation 7 with their win over the Nets in Recreation 7 within the 2nd spherical final yr on their solution to the title.
Robert Williams has missed the final 3 video games after struggling a bone bruise in his surgically repaired knee. The Celtics received 2 of these video games and misplaced one by 3 factors. He’s as soon as once more listed as questionable for this sport and his standing is anticipated to be a sport time choice. After hopefully together with him within the beginning lineup the final two video games, I’m anticipating Grant Williams to as soon as once more get the beginning in his place. Sam Hauser is out with a shoulder damage. The Bucks have listed Khris Middleton as out for this sport. He has missed the complete collection up to now.
Possible Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Derrick White
Daniel Theis
Luke Kornet
Sam Hauser
Aaron Nesmith
Malik Fitts
Juwan Morgan
Nick Stauskas
Accidents
Sam Hauser (shoulder) out
Robert Williams III (knee) questionable
Head Coach
Ime Udoka
Possible Bucks Starters
Bucks Reserves
Bobby Portis, Jr
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Jevon Carter
Pat Connaughton
Serge Ibaka
Jordan Nwora
Rayjon Tucker
George Hill
Luca Vildoza
Accidents
Khris Middleton (knee) out
Head Coach
Mike Budenholzer
Key Matchups
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Al Horford
Shane Roper-USA TODAY Sports activities
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
Invoice Streicher-USA TODAY Sports activities
Grant Williams vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
As within the different 6 video games, the matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo is the important thing matchup. To this point within the collection, Giannis is averaging 38.3 factors, 13.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.3 blocks. Within the first 4 video games, his scoring was inefficient, taking pictures 43.8% from the sector and 12.5% from past the arc. Within the final 2 video games, he shot 52.6% from the sector and 50% from past the arc. The Celtics must restrict switching Brown and Tatum on him on protection. Grant Williams and Al Horford ought to see essentially the most time guarding him so as to restrict his effectivity as soon as once more.
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Marcus Good
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Jrue Vacation
Picture by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photos
Marcus Good vs Jrue Vacation
Jrue Vacation is averaging 21.0 factors, 6.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and a couple of.5 steals per sport for the collection. He’s taking pictures 35.3% from the sector and 34% from past the arc. The Celtics must play Vacation tightly on protection to restrict his manufacturing since he’s the most important risk for the Bucks apart from Antetokounmpo. Marcus Good has performed very effectively for the Celtics within the 6 video games up to now, apart from the final couple minutes of Recreation 5. I count on him to have one other sturdy sport on this one on each ends of the court docket.
Honorable Point out
Remainder of the Celtics vs Remainder of the Bucks
To this point, the Bucks have been relying on Giannis to hold the crew and for essentially the most half he has accomplished that. He hasn’t gotten a lot assist from the remainder of the crew. Giannis is #2 in scoring at 38.3 factors per sport. Jrue Vacation is nineteenth with 21.0 factors per sport. Then the third highest scorer is Pat Connaughton at #58 with simply 11.7 factors per sport and Bobby Portis at #76 with 9.8 factors per sport. The Celtics have two gamers within the prime 15 with Tatum at 28.3 factors per sport and Jaylen Brown at 22.5 factors per sport. Marcus Good is #40 with 14.6 factors per sport and Al Horford at 14.2 factors per sport. In addition they have Derrick White and Grant Williams who will be streaky however who can rating. This will come right down to which supporting solid steps up on each offense and protection.
Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection is all the time the most important key to profitable, and particularly extra so within the playoffs and on this collection. Protection actually does win championships. To this point, this collection has been a defensive battle from each groups and the collection will likely be received on the defensive finish on this sport. The Celtics should work tougher than the Bucks on protection and maintain their concentrate on the defensive finish in order to not permit any simple baskets for the Bucks. They particularly must maintain the Bucks from getting out in transition as they wrestle to seek out their offense within the half court docket. The Celtics can’t afford defensive lapses or missed assignments on this sport. They must defend the paint in addition to doing a greater job of defending them on the perimeter. Defending the perimeter is essential because the Bucks are taking pictures 32.3% from past the arc of their wins however simply 25.7% on threes of their losses. The Bucks have been taking part in very robust protection and the Celtics must play tougher than them on the defensive finish in the event that they hope to win this sport.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is all the time a giant key to profitable. Rebounding takes effort and when the Celtics put out additional effort to win the rebounding battle, that effort often continues to different areas of the sport. Then again, after they don’t make an additional effort on the boards, it additionally continues to different areas of the sport. Within the Bucks wins, they out rebounded the Celtics by 8.3 rebounds per sport. The Celtics should out work the Bucks on the boards and particularly on the offensive finish. The Bucks have extra measurement and so the Celtics have to offer extra effort in the event that they wish to win the battle of the boards.
Play as a Group – When the Celtics transfer the ball and belief one another, they’re robust to beat. However after they lapse into hero ball and attempt to do an excessive amount of individually, they wrestle. The Celtics have to maneuver the ball and so they have to maneuver with out the ball and they should belief one another. They must search for one of the best pictures and never take fast pictures with little ball motion. When the Celtics have excessive help numbers, they often win. It might be tempting for Jayson Tatum to attempt to take over once more but when his pictures aren’t falling, he must go to the basket and he wants to seek out his open teammates.
Keep Centered and Composed – Gamers, particularly Jayson Tatum, have spent an excessive amount of time complaining to the refs about calls and that has value the Celtics after they didn’t get again on protection and the Bucks scored. The Celtics must play by way of the dangerous calls which are inevitably coming. They must play exhausting and play collectively and never permit the strain or the stress to take them out of their sport. They must make cautious passes and so they must concentrate on their ball dealing with in order to not flip the ball over. In the event that they play like they’re able to and keep targeted and composed, they’ll win this sport. It’s theirs to win or lose.
No Let Up – The Celtics have to return out sturdy and be aggressive proper from the beginning. They’ve to offer most effort and focus proper from the opening tip and so they must maintain that focus and energy proper up till the ultimate buzzer. They particularly want to return out after the half targeted and able to take management of the sport within the third quarter and never permit the Bucks to realize any momentum. They’ll’t permit the Bucks to play tougher than them or to be extra aggressive and so they can’t lose focus and let up for any size of time within the sport.
X-Elements
House Court docket – The Celtics performed exhausting to complete the season to assert residence court docket within the first and second rounds. They’ve misplaced 2 video games at residence up to now on this collection however that is Recreation 7. They should make getting residence court docket work for them on this sport. No crew has received 2 video games in a row on this collection and hopefully residence court docket would be the distinction on this sport. They need to get a lift from a really rowdy and supportive residence crowd. Hopefully, the Bucks will wrestle with the distractions of journey, taking part in in an unfamiliar enviornment and in entrance of a hostile crowd. The Celtics want to guard their residence court docket and win Recreation 7 in entrance of their followers.
Teaching – Teaching continues to be an X-Issue on this sport. There’ll as soon as once more be changes on either side going into the sport and in the course of the sport. Will Ime as soon as once more make the precise changes after the loss in Recreation 5? Will Budenholzer give you a brand new wrinkle that the Celtics can’t match? Time outs, rotations, challenges, and training technique will all come into play on this sport to find out which crew will win. Which coach will make the precise strikes for his or her crew to win?
Officiating – The officiating can all the time be an x-factor and possibly extra so within the playoffs than within the common season. Some referees name the sport tight and others allow them to play. Some favor the house crew and others name it evenly. Some refs simply appear to have an agenda that doesn’t match the play on the court docket. And generally, like in Recreation 3, the refs are merely atrocious. Giannis appears to all the time get greater than his share of calls as he plows by way of gamers on his solution to the ring, leaving our bodies in his wake. He shot 68 free throws by way of 6 video games, greater than any participant on both crew. The Celtics must play by way of nonetheless the refs name the sport, whether or not it’s tight or they allow them to play or they make horrible calls. The Celtics can’t permit dangerous calls or no calls to remove their concentrate on the sport.
DraftKings
According to our friends at DraftKings, the Celtics are 5-point favorites for Recreation 7. Whereas homecourt benefit has mattered little or no on this bodily collection — each groups have received twice on the street — it’s simple to see why bettors are bullish on Boston’s possibilities to win the collection. During the last two video games, the Celtics have constructed 14-point leads within the fourth quarters, one they squandered away at TD Backyard in Recreation 5 and one other Jayson Tatum practically solely maintained in an elimination sport in Milwaukee.
Recreation 7 may come right down to the superstars. Boston has been content material letting Giannis Antetokounmpo get his within the face of single protection primarily from Al Horford, Grant Williams, and most not too long ago, Marcus Good; he’s nonetheless placing up monster scoring numbers, however they’ve collectively been capable of restrict his skill to get his teammates concerned and compelled 13 turnovers during the last two video games.
Tatum had The Tatum Recreation in Recreation 6 and Milwaukee sounds decided to not let that occur once more. That would imply extra playmaking for the Celtics All-Star. For what it’s price, Boston is 11-2 when Tatum has seven or extra assists in a sport. He had eight in Recreation 2 towards the Bucks and eight and ten in each residence video games towards the Nets.
All odds are correct on the time and date of publishing.
Try DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook associate of SB Nation.
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