NBA 2018-19: 3 reasons why Boston Celtics might beat Milwaukee Bucks in Round 2
In the three games that these teams played against each other in the regular season, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 or more in each while Kyrie Irving averaged almost 22 points per game.
Led by a couple of quality All-Stars, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics have no shortage of proven talent. While Milwaukee recorded a league-best win-loss this season, Boston are the reigning Eastern Conference finalists from last year.
The kinds of seasons their respective leading scorers have had so far might be different but we know that postseason is a place where you have to build from scratch. The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round to book a place in the East semis, while Milwaukee got rid of the Griffin-less Detroit Pistons with ease.
Ever since the Bucks-Celtics series has been made official, expectations of the Bucks prevailing over the Celtics have been doing the rounds. But here, we focus on a rather unpopular notion, looking at three reasons why Boston might edge the Bucks.
#1 The apparent glitches in their team chemistry are behind them
The Celtics did not have a smooth ride throughout the grueling 82-game long regular season. While many penciled them in as a top two seed (at the very least) in the East, they could barely manage to grab a respectable fourth spot before time ran out on them.
Marred by internal feuds and differences among prominent names on the team, the 2018-19 season has been a hell of bumpy ride for Brad Stevens' men. However, none of that matters now.
They've kicked off their postseason campaign with a series sweep of the Pacers, and after a long time normalcy seems to have descended in the Celtics' locker room.
Assuming they can conjure a concerted effort - which has been a major issue all year - to keep things moving smoothly on and off the court, there seems to be no argument persuasive enough for them to not have a great chance of reaching the Finals, let alone not beating the Bucks.