Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 2 rout vs. Celtics

3. Kyrie Irving struggled mightily, to say the least

In last year’s playoffs, the Celtics managed to make it all the way to the conference finals despite the absences of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. With both players back in the fold for this postseason run, the Celtics made quick work of the Indiana Pacers, sweeping them in four games in the first round.

In the first game of this series, Irving paced the Celtics’ scoring attack with 26 points (on 12-for-21 shooting), to go along with 11 dimes and seven boards. In other words, he was a nightmare for the Bucks’ defense.

That narrative changed a bit in Game 2 though, as the All-Star point guard struggled to make an impact. He started the game missing six straight attempts from the field and could never get on track after that.

In fact, he finished the contest with just nine points, missing on 14 of his 18 attempts overall while shooting just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. Irving also was a -20 after posting a +19 rating in Game 1.

"“They did a great job of switching tonight and forcing me left,” Irving said, via ESPN. “I started the game off well getting downhill and setting an example for my teammates of how we want to play. I just didn’t put my stamp on that.”"

Yes, the Celtics have a couple of players who can put the ball in the basket. On the other hand, this game was a stark reminder of what this team looks like when its leading playmaker and facilitator has an off night.