NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Milwaukee Bucks' win over Boston Celtics
After winning eight straight games, Boston has now lost three in quick succession, including the shocking 8-point defeat at the hand of the Phoenix Suns. Their most recent loss was handed to them by Giannis and his Bucks who visited Boston riding a three-game winning streak.
Milwaukee extended their win streak to four games as they beat the shorthanded Celtics on their home soil 120-107 in a commanding performance. As a result, both teams have now won seven out of their last ten games, one on the rise while the other one plummeting.
The disappointing loss saw the Celtics locker room closed for 40 minutes after the game ended as the frustrations after their third straight loss carried over off the court.
"It is something that we will keep in the locker room," said Jayson Tatum, who scored 20 points for Boston. "It's not something for everybody to know what we talked about. We just have to be better as a team."
The Celtics have now slid to the 5th position in the Eastern Conference with an 18-13 (0.581) win-loss record, while the surging Bucks, who are 22-9 (0.710) hold on to the second spot behind the Raptors.
Let's draw out some key takeaways from this imposing road win for the Bucks over the Celtics.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo had himself a high-scoring night
The Greek Freak has been putting up a strong case for MVP ever since the season started, and he seems to amp up the intensity against teams that won't go down without a fight.
For this game, he dropped a game-high 30 points, along with eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He got off to a slow start, taking only four first-half field-goal attempts but added 19 points in the second half.
He is averaging a near-career-high 26.8 points per game on the season which is the 6th best in the league. The Bucks' recent eruption to the upper Echelons of the East has been fueled by Giannis' heroics throughout the season.
“We haven’t lost twice to the same team this year,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s a good feeling, coming in here and getting a win in here because they play so well at home.”