Milwaukee fought valiantly, but came up short against the reigning champions
The Milwaukee Bucks lost in a tough contest to the reigning champion Boston Celtics. Jaylen Brown dropped 30 points for Boston, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 63 for Milwaukee. The Bucks now sit at a disappointing 1-3 in the early season.
Game Recap
One the whole, it was a decent start from the Bucks, despite having five turnovers in the quarter. There was a marked difference in ball movement right from the start. Giannis’ willingness to roam around and set more screens was immediately evident. Antetokounmpo and Lillard combined for 21 points, with Gary Trent finishing the quarter with a three on the buzzer to lead 29-28.
Gary Trent Jr. beats the buzzer! pic.twitter.com/4kYh2N8xGq
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 29, 2024
The Bucks kept pace with Boston throughout the second as well. They started well, with Trent converting on another three to begin. But much to Bucks fans’ chagrin, it was Payton Pritchard who kept the Celtics close—not any of their stars. Pritchard went five out of eight from three in the half, while the rest of the team struggled. Interestingly, Andre Jackson Jr. got his first real minutes of the year in the late second quarter, knocking down a nice baseline floater. Milwaukee maintained its lead going into the locker room up 56-53 at half.
Boston came out running better offence, forcing the Milwaukee timeout early. Milwaukee returned with a 6-0 run but then went away from what they were doing well, going to Bobby Portis isolations on the wing. Boston compounded this by punishing them for the rest of the quarter behind a flurry of Derrick White threes, leading 90-82 at the quarter’s end.
Giannis no look dime. pic.twitter.com/STiQDbKCCL
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 29, 2024
The Bucks battled back in the fourth after the Celtics came out firing to reduce the deficit to eight points after consecutive Giannis buckets. But from there, the Bucks’ legs really gave out as Milwaukee friend Jrue Holiday asserted himself on both ends.
Stat That Stood Out
The difference in this game came, as it usually does against Boston, at the three-point line. The Celtics shot 18/47 from deep, while the Bucks shot just 8/31. That’s the game. But to add insult to injury, Milwaukee turned the ball over a staggering 16 times, continuing a worrying trend early in the season.
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