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Boston Celtics (15-9) at Milwaukee Bucks (10-15)
Thursday, November 11, 2025
8:00 PM ET
TV: NBCSB, FDSWI, NBA-LP
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WTMJ (103..3), Sirius XM
Regular Season Game #25, Road Game #13
Fiserv Forum 
Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard 
vs
Derrick White vs Ryan Rollins
Shooting Guard 
vs
Payton Pritchard vs Kevin Porter, Jr.
Small Forward 
vs
Jaylen Brown vs Kyle Kuzma
Power Forward 
vs
Jordan Walsh vs Jericho Sims
Center
vs
Neemias Queta vs Miles Turner
Celtics ReservesAnfernee Simons
Hugo Gonzalez
Xavier Tillman
Josh Minott
Sam Hauser
Luka Garza
Baylon Scheierman
Chris Boucher
2-Way PlayersRon Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Amari Williams
Injuries/OutJayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Bucks Reserves Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Cole Anthony
Amir Coffey
Gary Harris
Andre Jackson, Jr
Bobby Portis, Jr
Gary Trent, Jr
Two-Way PlayersAlex Antetokounmpo
Pete Nance
Mark Sears
Injuries/OutGiannis Antetokounmpo (calf) out
Taurean Prince (neck) out
AJ Green (shoulder) questionable
Game Notes The Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks for the first of 4 games between these two teams this season. They will play in Boston on February 1 and in Milwaukee on March 2 and April 13. Due to the in-season tournament, they face the anomaly of playing 3 times in Milwaukee and just once in Boston. The Celtics won the series 3-0 last season. They are 121-112 overall all time against the Bucks and they are 43-72 against the Bucks all time in games played in Milwaukee.
The Bucks made several changes in the off-season hoping to please Giannis and keep him in Milwaukee. They waived Damian Lillard and stretched his contract. They let Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton go as free agents. They brought in Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey, Gary Harris and Miles Turner. They cut Vasilije Micic.
The Celtics are 3rd in the East, 2 games behind 2nd place New York and 4 games behind first place Detroit. They are half a game ahead of 4th place Orlando and 1 game ahead of 5th place Toronto. The Celtics are 7-5 on the road. They are 11-6 against Eastern Conference opponents and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 5 games.
The Bucks are 10th in the East, 4 games behind 6th place Philadelphia, 7th place Cleveland, 8th place Miami, and 9th place Atlanta. They are tied with 11th place Chicago. They are 7-7 at home. They are 8-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 2 games.
After this game on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics will then play at home against the Pistons. Those 2 games were added to the schedule after the Celtics failed to qualify for the NBA Cup knock out rounds. After the Cup games, they host Miami, play at Toronto, host Indiana and then head out on a 5 game road trip through Indiana, Portland, Utah, Sacramento and the LA Clippers.
After this home game against the Celtics, the Bucks wiil play at Brooklyn for their second game added due failing to make the NBA Cup games. They they will host Toronto before going on a 5 game road trip through Minnesota, Indiana, Memphis, Chicago, and Charlotte. They they play Washington and Charlotte at home before a 4 game road trip through Sacramento, Golden State, the LA Clippers and Denver.
For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum remains out as he rehabs his torn Achilles but rumors are ramping up about his return this season. Chris Boucher will miss this game due to a non-COVID illness. Amari Williams is out due to a hairline fracture in his hand. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is out due to a calf injury. Taurean Prince is out due to a neck injury and AJ Green is questionable due to a shoulder injury. If Green is out, Kyle Kuzma is likely to get the start.
Key Matchups vs
Payton Pritchard vs Kevin Porter, Jr.
Porter is averaging 21.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He is shooting 55.8% from the field and an incredible 61.8% taking 5.7 threes per game. He is playing very well and the Celtics need to defend him well, especially on the perimeter. They also need to be aware of him in the passing lanes as he is a threat to steal the ball.
vs
Derrick White vs Ryan Rollins
Rollins is averaging 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He is shooting 47.6% from the field and 39.0% from beyond the arc. Rollins is also a good 3 point shooter and so the Celtics need to defend the perimeter.
Honorable Mention Neemias Queta vs Myles Turner
Turner is averaging 12.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He is shooting 43.8% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc. As with Rollins and Porter, Turner is a good 3 point shooter. He is also a threat to block shots at the hoop.
Keys to the Game Defense - Defense is always the biggest key to winning. Defense really does win championships. The Celtics are 17th with a defensive rating of 114.8. The Bucks are 22nd with a defensive rating of 117.0. 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. They especially need to defend the perimeter as the Bucks top the league shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc as a team.
Rebound - Next to defense, rebounding is always a big key to winning. As Pat Riley once said, "No rebounds, no rings." The key to rebounding is effort and focus. The Celtics are are 10-3 when they out rebound or are tied with their opponents and just 5-6 when they are out rebounded. The Bucks are last with 37.9 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 18th with 43.8 rebounds per game. The Celtics have to fight to beat the Bucks to rebounds.
Don't Underestimate the Bucks - The Bucks have not been playing well, going just 2-8 in their last 10 games. However, the Bucks are still a rival in the Eastern Conference that can play hard. One of their 2 wins in the last 10 was against first place Detroit. The Celtics have to give max effort on the boards and on defense and they have to give that effort for the entire game and not just 1 or 2 quarters.
3 Point Shooting - The Celtics are 3rd in the league, averaging 43.3 three pointers per game. They are shooting 36.9% as a team from beyond the arc. The Bucks are 12th, averaging 37.9 threes a game and first in the league shooting 40.9% on threes as a team. The Celtics make 16 threes a game while the Bucks make 15.5 thees a game. The Celtics need to work to get open and move the ball to find the best shots. If the 3's aren't falling, they need to take the ball inside. And they need to defend the perimeter or the Bucks will bury them in 3s.
X-Factors On the Road - The Celtics are on the road and so will have the distractions of travel, being away from family, staying in hotels, and playing in front of a hostile crowd. They need to stay focused and not allow any of those distractions to take away from playing their game. Every team gives their best to try to beat the Celtics and the Bucks will have additional motivation to play hard against them. Historically, the Celtics are just 43-72 in Milwaukee. They need to stay focused and play hard and not let up.
Coaching - Doc Rivers coached the Celtics from 2004 until 2013 and quit when the Celtics traded Pierce and Garnett to start a rebuild. The Celtics have had a relatively short rebuild and have been largely successful since he left. Doc has struggled in each of his stops with the Clippers, 76ers and now the Bucks. Doc would love nothing more than to beat his former team while Joe just wants to beat everybody, no matter who they are.
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 bad. 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: Celtics (15-9) at Bucks (10-15) Game #25 12/11/25 (Read 380 times)