BOSTON — The last time the Boston Celtics played the Milwaukee Bucks, it was ugly. Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma dominated, leading the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks to a victory in Milwaukee.
Sunday afternoon’s game looked like it was heading in that same direction.
Portis and Ryan Rollins pushed the Bucks out to an early 9-0 lead, and Joe Mazzulla called his first timeout of the game at the 9:48 mark in the first quarter.
Boston wasn’t playing terribly in the first few minutes of the game. Payton Pritchard got a couple of open threes, but they didn’t fall. Meanwhile, Portis was making some tough buckets, and Rollins found his money out of the pick-and-roll.
Then, water found its level.
A spark from Anfernee Simons helped turn the game on its head. He checked with 6:20 to play in the first, and by the end of the period, he had 11 points (including a buzzer-beating, step-back three).
Jordan Walsh provided a much-needed boost, too. His offensive rebounding propelled the Celtics forward, and he found his way to the rim by driving closeouts. Walsh’s impact was all over this game.
By the time the third quarter came around, what was once an early nine-point deficit had flipped into a 20-point Celtics lead. They had figured out the Bucks’ defense and were getting open threes and clear driving lanes for Jaylen Brown.
Brown played well for most of the night, but he really picked up the pace in the third quarter. He ended the evening with a double-double (and a tech late in the third).
Milwaukee made some small runs. Transition opportunities and fouls hurt the Celtics at certain points. But for the most part, after Boston went up big, they coasted.
Big winner: Sticking with it. The Celtics could have adjusted when things went poorly in the first couple of minutes. But they didn’t.
Boston wasn’t guarding Portis with a traditional big. Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Simons all played him in the post. Sometimes, the Celtics sent help, but regardless of the outcome, Mazzulla didn’t adjust. And Portis did not have a great game.
Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the same plays Boston was running early in the first worked as the evening went on. The difference? Shot-making.
Mazzulla and the Celtics trusted that their game plan would work in the long run, and it did.
Ouch, tough one: Nit-picking. Boston played a great basketball game. There weren’t too many issues to pick on. But that meant that the tiniest issues stood out.
Missed layups were highlighted. Neemias Queta, who was dominant in the pick-and-roll all game, scuffed a couple that led to Milwaukee chances at the other end.
Hauser had a couple of defensive miscues. Queta fouled a couple of times when he shouldn’t have, especially in the second half. And Walsh, despite his hustle, made some underwhelming decisions, and most of them came right after he made a big effort play.
The Celtics were awesome on Sunday, but there’s always room for improvement.
The big picture: Trade deadline decisions. Technically, this isn’t a specific takeaway about the game, but Simons played so well that Brad Stevens’ trade-deadline decisions got even tougher than they were previously.
Simons’ three-point shot is incredible. His release is so quick that he can get a shot up in even the tightest of catch-and-shoot windows. And defensively, he’s transformed himself as a player this season.
One more thing: Sunday was the NBA’s inaugural Pioneers Day, and there were plenty of legends in the house.
The Celtics sent out a press release that discussed the importance of the event:
“Today, the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will celebrate the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic. The game honors the 75th anniversary of the NBA Pioneers—Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton—the league’s first Black players.
“Cooper made history in 1950 as the first Black player drafted in the NBA when the Boston Celtics selected him, helping break the league’s color barrier. His selection marked a pivotal moment in both Celtics history and the broader integration of professional basketball.
“As part of the matchup, both teams will wear commemorative jersey patches and special shooting shirts. Celtics player Jordan Walsh will also meet with members of the Pioneers’ families prior to tipoff. Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will deliver a pregame address to educate fans on NBA Pioneers Day, joined on the court by a family representative of each Pioneer.
“In a continued commitment to honoring the legacy of the NBA Pioneers, the NBA Foundation and NBPA Foundation will collectively donate $750,000 over the next five years to establish the NBA Pioneers Scholarship, supporting academic and athletic programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Initial scholarship recipients will include the alma maters of the three Pioneers—West Virginia State University and Xavier University of Louisiana. All HBCU athletic departments and former NBA HBCU Fellowship program participants will be eligible to apply for future scholarships. The first $150,000 scholarship will be presented at center court between the first and second quarter, benefiting West Virginia State University and Xavier University.
“ESPN’s broadcast will spotlight the game’s all-Black production crew, and an all-Black referee crew will officiate the contest. Beginning this year, the NBA Pioneers Classic will be played annually on February 1 to commemorate the start of Black History Month and celebrate the enduring impact and legacy of the NBA Pioneers.”
Celtics legend Tom “Satch” Sanders was in the house, as was Bill Russell’s daughter, Karen, and Red Auerbach’s granddaughter, Julie.
KC Jones’ three daughters were also at TD Garden for the evening.
