The (rein)deer got run over on Christmas: 10 Takeaways from Boston Celtics-Milwaukee Bucks

1. “Greatest Win of the Season” isn’t an official award or something, however now we have a brand new contender for the unofficial {hardware}. From the beginning, the Boston Celtics had been accountable for their Christmas Day matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. Within the second half, Boston turned it right into a runaway victory.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown did the star stuff, whereas everybody else performed their function principally completely. It was the sort of all-around victory that Boston hasn’t had in current weeks. And it confirmed why the Celtics are nonetheless on the prime of the title contenders record.

Till some late buying and selling of baskets in rubbish time, Boston locked down on protection within the second half. They held Giannis Antetokounmpo to simply 9-of-22 from the ground. It was a reasonably full efficiency on each ends.

Towards the opposite finest workforce within the NBA, the Celtics checked out their finest. And it got here with the world watching too.

2. Jayson Tatum probably would have gone for 50 factors, if not for being barely wanted within the fourth quarter. By the point Tatum received again within the recreation, the Celtics had been in management and Jaylen Brown was on hearth.

However Tatum was dominant and flashed his full scoring package deal earlier on this recreation. It began with an early pullup three in transition:

A bit later, Tatum used his spin-back transfer to get all the best way to the rim to complete by some contact:

After a beautiful steal by Marcus Sensible, Tatum drove it the entire approach for an additional end by contact:

Halfway by the second quarter, Tatum put Giannis Antetokounmpo on a poster:

Within the third quarter, Tatum actually received it going. He scored 20 of his 41 factors within the interval, together with a stretch the place he scored 12 of 15 factors for Boston.

It began with this step-back triple:

Tatum is aware of Brook Lopez needs to drop to the rim, so he will get him shifting backwards earlier than drilling the pullup:

On the subsequent journey, Tatum makes use of the hesitation dribble to blow by Grayson Allen for the floater:

This stare-down three over Antetokounmpo is simply ice chilly:

Then Tatum went to work inside once more. Jrue Vacation is a good defender, however when Tatum is locked in and attending to his spot, there’s nothing you are able to do:

Pat Connaughton doesn’t actually have an opportunity right here. Tatum is just too huge and too good to be bothered on this shot:

That was lots of clips to indicate the various methods by which Jayson Tatum can rating. He’s arguably the NBA’s most versatile scoring menace proper now, particularly whenever you consider that he additionally received to the free throw line 10 occasions.

3. Jaylen Brown isn’t going to be ignored right here. He was nice to open the sport, after which Brown took over early within the fourth quarter. As a result of the Celtics began a smaller lineup, Brown was capable of get matched up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez on an island a number of occasions.

On this play, Brown doesn’t anticipate the Al Horford display to muddle issues up. He simply blows by Antetokounmpo and Lopez each for the layup:

Lopez is likely to be the Defensive Participant of the 12 months. His rim safety has been elite all season. However Lopez has no enterprise, nor likelihood of, guarding Brown this far up the ground:

Brown hit some fourth-quarter jumpers and layups, however this one was the perfect of the bunch. The Bucks are hanging round and the shot-clock is operating down. The Celtics belief Brown sufficient to run a late-clock motion for him right here and he delivers with the star play:

4. Perhaps the perfect factor about Jayson Tatum’s and Jaylen Brown’s Christmas night time? They had been unselfish and performed inside the workforce, even when each might, and perhaps ought to, have taken each shot.

These two pictures had been in the course of Tatum’s enormous third quarter. Right here, he drew two defenders and arrange Derrick White:

Tatum might have taken this shot, however he sees Grant Williams is working from the nook workplace on Christmas:

Earlier than getting himself going within the fourth quarter, Brown received his teammates going. Like Tatum, he spots Grant Williams within the nook. The endurance right here is nice from Brown, as he takes an additional dribble to let the visitors clear earlier than zipping the move to the nook:

Talking of endurance, Brown forces Brook Lopez to commit earlier than lobbing it as much as Rob Williams:

Tatum and Brown mixed for 70 factors on 25-of-41 taking pictures, however additionally they mixed for 9 assists. They’re the celebs, however they each know they aren’t going wherever with out lots of assist from their buddies.

5. Marcus Sensible is the Celtics level guard. That debate had higher be useless and buried as 2022 involves a detailed. In 68 minutes over his final two video games, Sensible has had 18 assists in opposition to one turnover.

Fairly often, Sensible is driving his man, drawing the assistance defender and leaving it for a teammate, as he does with Blake Griffin right here:

Nobody is best than throwing the Rob Lob than Sensible is, and he hooks up with Williams from distance right here:

That is simply attractive basketball. Sensible pushes it onerous in transition earlier than delivering he stunning dime to Jayson Tatum:

6. You noticed Rob Williams end off that lob above, however he made a few different standout performs on this one too. First, Williams went up and over Giannis Antetokounmpo for this rebound and putback:

Williams seems to be noticeably greater up prime. We’ll have to seek out out if he used a few of his restoration time from knee surgical procedure to work on his higher physique, however Williams used to get despatched again on performs like this. Right here, he took the hit and was proper there to contest the shot from Bobby Portis:

7. Derrick White performed one other actually strong recreation. He performs with nice private tempo. And White is stronger than he seems to be, as evidenced by this and-1:

Boston was pushing tempo all recreation, and it’s nice to see the 2 guards working collectively like this, as White and Marcus Sensible run the break completely:

8. Malcolm Brogdon had a pleasant recreation off the bench in opposition to his former workforce. He’s so robust and artful, particularly when driving for floaters like this:

Later within the recreation, Brogdon saved the drive-and-kick machine working. And take a look at Grant Williams with just a little shimmy as a nod to a buddy of his who’s battling most cancers:

9. Your intrepid creator tweeted this after Sam Hauser missed his first couple of pictures:

Hauser responded minutes later by drilling this proper in my mug:

And Hauser connected with Luke Kornet for the Maine Connection to place a capper on the festivities:

10. It was a fantastic night time for the Boston Celtics. They confirmed up in opposition to a fellow title contender and blew them out.

Now, it’s again to work on Tuesday in opposition to a decidedly non-contender within the Houston Rockets. It’s Boston’s next-to-last recreation on the seven-game homestand. The Celtics are again in first place by 1.5 video games and it’s time to maintain issues shifting ahead with a win over one of many NBA’s worst groups.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all night time!