Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 11-of-27 in the second game, with Grant Williams being the main reason.
• Celtics vs Bucks: Full series
MILWAUKEE — Nothing is more likely to cause overreaction than a change in playoff results. Both participants and viewers know this.
"The playoffs mood is crazy," Milwaukee Bucks guard Wesley Matthews said Friday afternoon. "You win the first game, ah, we're going to sweep them. You lost the first game, oh, and told you, Celtics game five. That's the nature of the matter. "
The scoreboard would exacerbate the pendulum effect as the Bucks and Boston Celtics saw a double-digit shift in the first two games in the Eastern Conference semifinals series.
In the opener, the Celtics lost 101-89 at TD Gardens and looked as if they were paper tigers. The NBA's hottest team since Jan. 1, impressed when it swept Brooklyn in the first round, appeared to have made a mistake in the game against defending champion Milwaukee.
So when Boston guard Marcus Smart, the league's Kia Defensive Player of the Year, used to be scraped from game two with a right thigh bruise, the personnel blow coupled with the Bucks' championship pedigree suggested a quick exit for the Celtics. Wrong. Boston recalibrated its offense, especially its defense, beating the Bucks 109-86 and shifting doubt and anxiety to Milwaukee.
As game three drew near, the Celtics' defense and Jaylen Brown's offense gave Milwaukee something new to think about.
The three-day break between the second and third games of the Fiserv Forum, which was transferred from Boston to Milwaukee, could be a mixed bag for each team. The season has progressed so far, rest and recovery are always good. But all the time between games can increase the temptation to over-tinker. Especially for teams that have recently lost.
"It's obviously possible," Bucks center Brooke López said. "You really want to really show your team. We're making adjustments – don't get me wrong, we're making changes for game three. But I definitely think there are things, especially on the offensive side, that we got rid of that kind of thing that was rooted in our team's DNA. ”
Lopez himself made a small mistake. The 7-foot veteran scored the season's lowest two-pointer with just two shots, the fewest since his rookie season in November 2011.
Chasing history: After a bumpy start to the season, the Boston Celtics still maintain the resilience to turn things around.
When Milwaukee played against Atalanta in last year's playoffs — Giannis Antetokounmpo was suddenly injured by an overextended knee — Lopez filled the void. In the absence of his MVP teammates, he scored 7 points from 3-of-6 in game four to 33 points on 14-of-18 shooting in game five.
Even halfway through the performance, it's an encouragement for the Bucks, as they'll be sidelined for at least two games without All-Star scorer Chris Middleton (knee).
"When the opportunity comes, I take the opportunity and try to be more aggressive," Lopez said. 'At the same time, it's important for us to maintain the team spirit we've always had and the integrity of our attack.
He added: "I think when we get the ball, we all have to be more aggressive. When Janis does DHO (dribbling pass), our players have to turn corners and look at the scoring, look at the dunks. And not just passive performances. ”
Milwaukee still gave up on a playoff-low average of 96.3 points per game and wasn't inclined to upset their defensive identity. The pure comeback suggests that Boston's shooters won't shoot 20 of their 43 three-pointers, or the Bucks will only shoot 3 of 18. In both games, the Celtics are 69 points higher than them on three points.
Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 33 points on 10-of-31 shooting in the first game and 59 points on 21-of-38 shooting in the second game. Al Horford had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and substitute Grant Williams scored 21 points, thanks to his 6-of-9 shooting.
Boston did well in Game Two, enough to destroy Milwaukee's defense before finding snipers on the perimeter. The Bucks also want to improve on another thing.
Why Brook lópez's defensive impact improves the Bucks' chances of repeating.
"The more we can keep the ball in front of us," Matthews said, "the more we can stay away from the rotation — we rotate a lot." Our efforts are there, our work is there, but take off the hat to salute them. They shoot shots, they move the ball [38 assists]. Obviously the ball is faster than a man. When they fly the ball around and we fly around, the advantage is on them. ”
But in Matthews' opinion, the Celtics shot exceptionally well. His team should not overreact to this.
"We're not going to get too crazy," he said. "What we can't tolerate is 86. We have to do better on the offensive end. ”
Smart was listed friday as a possible third fixture, which appears to be a bonus because of the blueprint for Horford, Williams and coach Amy Yuduka in particular for the work on Antetokounmpo. The Greek freak has decent stats — 26 points, 11 rebounds, 9.5 assists — but his efficiency is far behind, shooting just 38.5 percent from two games. He made just one of his six three-point attempts and nine of his 20 free throws without a hit.
Guard Juul Holliday, the Bucks' second-place leading scorer, averaged 22 points per game in the series but shot 15-of-40. Milwaukee will only be active offensively when Lopez has a group of defenders around him, but getting Antetokounmpo off the pitch is not a winning strategy.
"Janis is a great player, Jrue is a great player," coach Mike Budenholzer said after the second game. "Those guys are going to make a difference. [We] have faith in these two people. They've found some opportunities, and they need to find more. As a whole, we have to do better, and we will do it. "
So both Boston and Milwaukee have reasons not to overreact. At least in another game.