Boston Celtics: 5 keys to series vs. Bucks

1. Slowing down Giannis

It doesn’t get more obvious than this. The key to winning this series for the Boston Celtics will be slowing down Giannis Antetekounmpo. Taking the opposing team’s best player out of the game is always a surefire way to lock up a series win.

It goes without saying that this is not an easy task, especially when the guy on the other team is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete that looks like he’s fresh off the Monstars squad from Space Jam.

Giannis pushed his name into MVP talks this season by averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. He led the team in every statistic outside of steals and blocks, but was without a doubt one of the best defenders in the league this season.

So, how do the Celtics manage to slow down this beast? Well, for starters, they can control the pace of the game. Giannis is averaging a league-high 8.8 points per game in transition during the playoffs. His insane size and athleticism make him nearly impossible to stop as he shoots 72.2 percent on fast break attempts.

Secondly, the Celtics will have to do their best to limit his touches in the paint. The Greek Freak put home 279 dunks this season, which would be the single-season record if Rudy Gobert hadn’t flushed 306 jams of his own.

Pushing Antetokounmpo out towards the perimeter is their best bet, as he is a career 27.7 percent 3-point shooter. This also stops him from being able to pass from the paint out to a 3-point shooter, which is something that has been effective for the Bucks, who average the fourth-most 3-point makes this postseason.

Stopping Giannis will not be easy. In fact, it might not even be possible. But if Boston limits his paint touches and keeps the game at a slow pace, it might have a chance. This is the most important factor for the Celtics in this series.