The Milwaukee Bucks dropped a winnable overtime game against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first round series. The question is, what did we learn from the opener?
Water is wet, the Boston Celtics are banged up and the Milwaukee Bucks are as maddening as ever.
In Game 1 of their first round series of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, the 7-seeded Bucks managed to force overtime against a shorthanded but favored Celtics squad. Unfortunately, they were unable to steal the postseason opener on the road, ultimately falling 113-107.
In the process, Milwaukee wasted some monster stat lines from its two stars. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with a game-high 35 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, while Khris Middleton put up 31 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal, knocking down five of his seven looks from 3-point range.
Malcolm Brogdon also chipped in 16 points, but other than that, the Bucks’ supporting cast paled in comparison to Boston’s well-balanced production. Al Horford led the Celtics with 24 points, Terry Rozier added 23, Jayson Tatum recorded a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in his playoff debut, Jaylen Brown had 20 and Marcus Morris chipped in 21 points off the bench.
The Bucks had their chances down the stretch, but were unable to turn momentum on their side in the extra period after Middleton buried an improbable 3-pointer from near half-court with 0.5 seconds left to force OT.
🚨 KHRIS MIDDLETON SENDS IT TO OT WITH A PRAYER WITH 0.5 SECONDS TO GO!!! 🚨#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/hCGZRkAF33
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 15, 2018
Late-game miracles notwithstanding, the Bucks are now down 0-1 in the series and missed a great opportunity to steal a game on the road. The question is, what did we learn about this matchup in Game 1?