Rapid Recap: Celtics 109, Bucks 102

Despite being down by 21 at halftime, the Milwaukee Bucks were able to battle back and outscore the Boston Celtics in the second half, 61-47, but ultimately fell short and could not secure their first road win of the year, losing 109-102. Tyler Herro led all Bucks scorers with 25 points, while Paul George led the Cs with 25 as well.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The game began with the Bucks scoring just five points—all from Jaime Jaquez Jr.—in the first four minutes while turning it over three times. The most optimistic fans (me) could watch and think, “Once they settle in, these shots will fall,” but nothing was further from the truth. After Myles Turner hit his first three to make it 12-8, the Bucks didn’t score for almost six minutes as the Celtics went on a 15-0 run; Nate Ament ended the drought with a corner three. I mean, Brayden Burries secured a couple of nice offensive rebounds, but it was otherwise a quarter to forget. The visitors looked out of sync and lacked any identity, down 28-14 after one.

The second quarter started at a much better pace, with Milwaukee going mostly blow for blow to keep the deficit at 14 through the first half of the quarter. Once Boston’s starting lineup was back on the floor, though, they took the pace over again, and the Bucks looked handcuffed. By the end of the second quarter, the Bucks had committed 10 turnovers for 12 Celtics points, and the Bucks were lucky it wasn’t more. Milwaukee was also totally ineffective in transition, with a points-per-possession of -7.4; ironically, their transition play has been one of their few strengths this year, but over two quarters, they couldn’t find any rhythm there. Milwaukee also didn’t attack the rim, with just five total shot attempts at the rim, converting only one. The lone silver lining in the first half was Myles Turner, who was really having a game: nine points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. Still, the Bucks were down 62-41 at the half.

The second half started with a much faster pace, with a 12-5 run pulling the Bucks back within 14 and forcing Boston to take a timeout. Most of the scoring and pace came from Jaquez, who stormed out of the locker room and put up eight points in the first few minutes. The pace continued, led mostly by Herro, and at one point the Bucks made eight straight buckets from the field, including a sick Burries dunk that forced another Boston timeout with the visitors down nine, 74-65. Milwaukee looked like a totally refreshed team, crashing the boards and moving the ball exceptionally well, all while finally protecting the ball (only one turnover for the quarter). Milwaukee shot a white-hot 14/21 in the third, down 87-79 entering the final frame.

The Bucks kept fighting to start the fourth, largely thanks to Nate Ament. Ament looked impressive, playing incredibly effectively off-ball and helping his teammates find opportunities to score, while also hitting some big-time shots himself; he hit a triple from the top of the key and then a layup to tie it up at 91. Burries subbed in at the six-minute mark and helped recapture the lead with a sweet 14-foot floater as the game turned into a sludge fest, with the lead changing on what felt like every possession. Make no mistake, the Bucks had multiple chances to take the game, but could not execute when it mattered, unlike the Celtics. Boston was just way better at making the crucial play, converting just enough of their opportunities to stave off the Bucks’ comeback.

Stat That Stood Out

Four: the number of turnovers the Bucks committed in the whole second half. Milwaukee looked like a different team, and their ability to move the ball efficiently in the second half was the biggest reason.

Obscene Overreaction

I’ve seen enough: Start Nate Ament at the four. I made a similar call in the preseason after Dieng had a solid outing, so this is becoming something of a habit for me, but Ament played with infectious energy tonight that helped keep the Bucks in it despite being down 21 at halftime. On the flip side: Kyle Kuzma is arguably more responsible for the last two losses than anyone else. Low effort, high turnovers, and not good enough at anything to justify starting him or closing games. Let Ament start and let him get battle-tested now.