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Milwaukee Bucks (22-10) at Boston Celtics (23-10)
Sunday, December 25, 2022
5:00 PM ET
TV: ABC, ESPN
Radio: WBZ-FM, WTMJ-AM/FM, ESPNR
Regular Season Game #34, Home Game #18
TD Garden 
Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard 
vs
Marcus Smart vs Jrue Holiday
Shooting Guard 
vs
Derrick White vs Jevon Carter
Small Forward 
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Grayson Allen
Power Forward 
vs
Jayson Tatum vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
Center
vs
Al Horford vs Brook Lopez
Celtics ReservesRobert Williams III
Malcolm Brogdon
Sam Hauser
Payton Pritchard
Luke Kornet
Blake Griffin
Justin Jackson
Noah Vonleh
Grant Williams
2 Way PlayersJD Davison
Mfiondu Kabengele
Out/InjuriesDanilo Gallinari (ACL) out
Marcus Smart (hip) probable
Head Coach (Interim)Joe Mazzulla
Bucks ReservesThanasis Antetokounmpo
MarJon Beauchamp
Pat Connaughton
George Hill
Serge Ibaka
Joe Ingles
Wesley Matthews
Jordan Nwora
Bobby Portis, Jr
2-Way Players AJ Green
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Out/Injuries Khris Middleton (knee) doubtful
Head Coach Mike Budenholzer
Game Notes The Celtics continue their seven-game homestand on Christmas day when they host the Milwaukee Bucks in a 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals rematch. This is the 36th time the Celtics will play on Christmas Day since their first Holiday appearance in 1948. They are 16-20 overall and 1-3 at home.
This is the Celtics 7th straight Christmas Day appearance and they are hosting on Christmas for the 5th time in franchise history. This is the 5th consecutive Christmas Day appearance for the Bucks and their 9th overall. It is their 2nd straight Christmas Day game against the Celtics. The Bucks won the matchup in Milwaukee last year.
The Celtics are back in first place in the East after a brief time in 2nd behind Milwaukee. They are currently just half a game ahead of the Bucks. The Celtics are 12-5 at home and 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are 9-2 against Eastern Conference teams. The Celtics had lost 5 of their last 6 games before beating the Timberwolves on Friday. This is the 5th game of a 7 game home stand for the Celtics. They face the Rockets and the Clippers at home before heading out on another 4 game Western road trip.
The Bucks have the 2nd best record in the league, half a game behind the Celtics and 1 game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They are 8-7 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 11-4 against Eastern Conference teams and have lost their last 2 games. This is the 4th game of a 5 game road trip for the Bucks.
Marcus Smart is listed as probable for this game with a hip contusion and I don't see him sitting unless he absolutely can't play. Robert Williams missed Friday's game with an illness but at this time, he is not on the list for this game. For the Bucks, Khris Middleton is doubtful for this game. He has missed the last 4 games with a knee injury.
Key Matchups vs
Jayson Tatum vs Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks' best player and possibly the league's best player. He is averaging 31.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He is shooting 54.1% from the field but just 25.6% from beyond the arc. In last year's playoffs, Grant Williams had some success guarding him and we may see that matchup in this game. Jayson Tatum has been struggling somewhat and shot just 16.7% on 3's against the Timberwolves. Hopefully he will find his shot again but if not, he needs to get to the hoop.
vs
Marcus Smart vs Jrue Holiday
Holiday is averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He is shooting 44.9% from the field and 35.9% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to play Holiday tightly on defense to limit his production since he is the biggest threat other than Antetokounmpo. Holiday is also a good defender and so the Celtics need to be aware of him when they are on offense.
Honorable Mention Al Horford vs Brook Lopez
Lopez is averaging 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He is shooting 50.3% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to stay with him both in the paint and on the perimeter as he is a threat to score in both areas.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always the biggest key to winning. Defense really does win championships. The Bucks have been winning games with their defense. They are 3rd with a defensive rating of 108.5. The Celtics has climbed up to 7th with a defensive rating of 110.6 but their defense has not been consistent. The Celtics must work harder than the Bucks on defense and keep their focus on the defensive end so as not to allow any easy baskets for the Bucks.
Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is always a big key to winning. The key to rebounding is effort and focus. When the Celtics increase their rebounding effort, it usually improves their play in other areas as well. The Bucks are a good rebounding team with 48.3 rebounds per game (3rd) while the Celtics are 11th with 43.8 rebounds per game. The Celtics must out work the Bucks on the boards if they hope to get a win in this one.
Remember What Works - The Celtics need to look back on the 2nd half against the Pacers and the 4th quarter against the Timberwolves to remember what works and look at the first half against the Pacers to know what doesn't work. They need to remember that crashing the boards, playing with effort and heart, moving the ball, pushing the pace, and trusting each other are what has gotten them wins. On the other hand, iso play and hero ball and a lack of composure is what has gotten them losses. They need to stay focused and keep their composure. They need to play as a team and move the ball. They need to work harder than the Bucks on defense and on rebounding.
Stay Focused - A lack of focus can explain a lot of the Celtics problems when they struggle. They lose focus and turn the ball over time after time during stretches in the game. They averaged 16 turnovers per game over their 3 game losing streak. They also lose focus and struggle to hit shots that they would usually make. After having the top offense in the league in November, they have one of the worst offenses in December. At times they also lose focus on defense and miss assignments and allow opponents open shots on the perimeter and easy shots inside. The Celtics must stay focused and take care of the ball, focus on taking and making good shots, and focus on playing tough team defense.
X-Factors Home Game - The Celtics are home for the fifth straight game. They have the home crowd behind them to give them extra motivation. The Bucks are on the road, where they haven't played all that well this season, going just 8-7 away from home, and where they are faced with the distractions of travel, hotel stays and a hostile crowd. The Bucks are 4th in net rating at home and 21st in net rating on the road. The Celtics need to take advantage of playing at home and defend their home court.
Revenge Factor - The Celtics beat the Bucks in 7 games in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bucks had to watch the Celtics go on to win the Eastern Conference Finals and then go on to the Finals. They have had a lot of time to think about it and have to want to avenge that loss. The Celtics have to be ready for the Bucks' best effort and respond with their own best effort.
Officiating - The officiating can always be an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn't fit the play on the court. And sometimes the refs are simply atrocious. Giannis seems to always get more than his share of calls as he plows through players on his way to the hoop, leaving bodies in his wake. The Celtics have to play through however the refs call the game, whether it is tight or they let them play or they make terrible calls. The Celtics can't allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on the game.
Topic: Bucks (22-10) at Celtics (23-10) Game #34 12/25/22 (Read 14144 times)