The Boston Celtics (52-24, 24-15 Away) travel to face the Milwaukee Bucks (55-21, 30-7 Home) Thursday in a matchup that pits great offense against superb defense. Boston was dismantled by the Washington Wizards 130-111 at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.
With 28 points and nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum led the way in the losing effort. The Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Bucks.
Milwaukee is playing the second of a back-to-back after triumphing yesterday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, beating the Indiana Pacers 149-136. Jrue Holiday had 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, carrying the team.
The Bucks are 2.5 games ahead of the Celtics atop the Eastern Conference, currently sitting in first. It’s the last meeting of the season between the teams.
Boston and Milwaukee have split their two matchups this season. The Bucks took the last meeting, beating the Celtics 131-125 in overtime at Fiserv Forum on February 14. Holiday led the Bucks with 40 points and seven assists.
Derrick White had 27 points and 12 assists in defeat. Tatum and Jaylen Brown, averaging 30.1 and 26.8 points per game, respectively, have led the Celts in scoring this season. Both are among the NBA’s top scorers, as Tatum is sixth and Brown is ninth. Tatum also has grabbed 8.9 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Marcus Smart is dishing 6.3 assists per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo has supplied much of the Bucks’ offense, averaging 31.2 points per game. He has the fifth-best scoring average in the league.
Antetokounmpo also has posted 11.8 rebounds per game, third-most in the NBA. Holiday has distributed 7.3 assists per game. The Bucks are third in defensive efficiency in the league, while the Celtics rank fourth in offensive efficiency.
The Bucks have found success in recent matchups between the teams at Fiserv Forum, winning seven of the last 10. Meanwhile, the Bucks are 9-2 when playing two days in a row this season and 4-2 in such games against opponents with at least a day of rest. The Celtics are 6-0 with a rest advantage.
Boston is 7-3 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +11.7 (120.5-108.8). Milwaukee has also a 7-3 record over the last 10, scoring 126.1 points per game on average while holding opponents to 119.5 (+6.6 margin). The Bucks are averaging 117.2 ppg for the full season while allowing 112.8.
CELTICS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Derrick White: 26.6 | 19.8 | +6.8
Points per game:
Derrick White: 15.6 | 12.3 | +3.3
BUCKS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Khris Middleton: 35.0 | 24.9 | +10.1
Points per game:
Khris Middleton: 22.0 | 15.5 | +6.5
Assists per game:
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 7.3 | 5.7 | +1.6
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
Milwaukee Bucks -2.5 (-115)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
