The Milwaukee Bucks (22-10, 8-7 Away) head to face the Boston Celtics (23-10, 12-5 Home) Sunday in a matchup that pits stifling defense against great offense. Milwaukee was dismantled by the Brooklyn Nets 118-100 at Barclays Center on Friday.
With 26 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a standout performance in defeat. The Bucks are first in the Eastern Conference, 0.5 games ahead of the Celtics. Boston got the win on Friday at TD Garden, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-109.
Jaylen Brown had 36 points and seven rebounds to lead the team. The Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference, 0.5 games behind the Bucks. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams.
They last met in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Celts knocked out the Bucks with a 109-81 victory at TD Garden on May 15.
Milwaukee and Boston split their regular season matchups last season, each team winning two games. The Bucks earned the win in the last meeting 127-121 at Fiserv Forum on April 7. Jrue Holiday led the Bucks with 29 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Marcus Smart had 29 points and seven assists in the loss. The Bucks have been led this season by Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 31.4 points per game, fourth-highest in the NBA.
Antetokounmpo also has grabbed 11.3 rebounds per game, fifth-most in the NBA. Meanwhile, Holiday is dishing 7.5 assists. Jayson Tatum and Brown have powered the Celts’ offense, averaging 30.5 and 26.5 points per game, respectively.
Tatum ranks fourth in the league. Tatum also has pulled down 8.1 rebounds per game. Smart has distributed 7.3 assists per game. The Celtics rank as the NBA’s best team in offensive efficiency, while the Bucks are third in defensive efficiency.
The Celtics have had the advantage in the Bucks’ last 10 visits to TD Garden, winning six. In the last 10 games, Milwaukee is 6-4 with an average margin of +0.1 (111.9-111.8).
Boston has split the last 10 (5-5), scoring 110.0 points per game on average while allowing 109.2 (+0.8 margin). The Celtics are averaging 118.1 ppg for the full season while allowing 112.2.
BUCKS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Khris Middleton: 10.0 | 18.1 | -8.1
Points per game:
Khris Middleton: 3.0 | 11.1 | -8.1
CELTICS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Rebounds per game:
Jaylen Brown: 10.0 | 7.5 | +2.5
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Milwaukee Bucks (+175)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
