On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks reminded the world why they’re the defending NBA Champions. They triumphantly knocked down the Boston Celtics, 101-89, at TD Garden to take a 1-0 series lead in this highly anticipated second-round matchup.
With the Celtics coming into the series as favorites following an impressive first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, the Bucks completely shellshocked them on their home court in Game 1. Behind stellar performances from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and two-way stud Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee kickstarted this series by drifting to an eye-opening victory.
As the Milwaukee Bucks deliver a statement Game 1 win over the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, we look at three takeaways.
Heading into this series, it seemed like the odds were stacked against the Bucks since they’re currently without Khris Middleton and George Hill due to injury, they didn’t have home-court advantage, and the Celtics looked like the hottest team in basketball.
Nevertheless, the resiliency of the reigning champions struck again as they continue to overcome the odds and battle through adversity in the NBA Playoffs. Milwaukee has already stolen home-court advantage while halting every ounce of momentum that Boston had from the previous round.
If the Celtics didn’t know before, they now know that they’re entering a dogfight and their toughest challenge yet after the Bucks served them their first loss of the postseason. The Bucks might not be at full strength, but they’re still the defending champions and still have the best player in the world leading their organization.
Game 1 gave us an insightful glimpse of how competitive and epic this series should turn out to be. With an eventful second-round matchup headed our way, let’s look at three takeaways from the initial contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.