After a stellar first-round outing against the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics surprisingly came out flat in Game 1 of their series against the Milwaukee Bucks, suffering a 101-89 loss on their home floor. A strong second-quarter performance allowed Mike Budenholzer's squad to create separation and eventually secure the victory to steal home-court advantage.
Though the Celtics had noticeable errors in the game, credit must also be given to the Bucks for coming out with a dominant performance despite not having Khris Middleton due to an MCL sprain. With the tough defeat, the Celtics will have to make the necessary adjustments heading to Game 2 in order to avoid losing two straight contests in Boston.
Let's take a look at three adjustments the Celtics must make after absorbing a lopsided loss in Game 1 against the Bucks.
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3 adjustments Celtics must make after Game 1 loss to Bucks
3. Boston must increase its activity in the paint
There was a large discrepancy in points in the paint. The Bucks didn't dominant offensively in the paint, managing just 34 points as the Celtics did an admirable job slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo down low (he shot 9-of-25 overall). However, Boston put up a paltry 20 points in the paint.
Milwaukee's suffocating defense kept Boston out of the painted area, resulting in the Celtics getting up 50 3-point shots. Boston went just 10-of-34 on 2-point shots, including 10-of-31 in the paint and 10-of-22 at the rim.
The Bucks are tough to score against down low thanks in large part to the presence of Giannis and Brook Lopez. Their scheme also baits opponents into launching a ton of 3-pointers. Still, the Celtics must do a better job of getting easier opportunities. That is easier said than done, but 20 points in the paint will not cut it. If they manage to at least match the activity of the Bucks near the basket, the upcoming games will surely be closer than how things turned out in Game 1.
Milwaukee also won the battle on the glass, 54-48, and outscored Boston 19-14 in second-chance points. The Celtics will hope to reverse that moving forward.
2. The Celtics must make their shots and take care of the ball
As noted, the Celtics really struggled offensively. They shot just 33.3% from the field and also coughed up a whopping 18 turnovers, leading to a ridiculous 27 Bucks points. Milwaukee also won fast-break points by a big margin of 28-8, with those turnovers playing a role there as well. The Bucks had 11 steals, led by three apiece for Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.
Nobody on Boston shot all that well. Marcus Smart, in particular, had a rough night as he battled through multiple injuries, going 3-of-11 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point range. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to go 10-of-31. Payton Pritchard was cold off the bench, shooting 2-of-8 from 3-land and missing a number of crucial triples in the fourth quarter as the Celtics' chances of a win died.
Boston was bothered by Milwaukee's physicality, which was admitted several times after the game. The Celtics must figure out how to keep their composure and get better shots while also not turning the ball over.
1. Jaylen Brown must help out Jayson Tatum on the offensive end
This was truly a nightmare game for Jaylen Brown, who entered the series dealing with a hamstring issue. In their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, Brown was excellent with averages of 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in four games played. Without a doubt, he is expected to carry a huge portion of the scoring load for the Celtics alongside Jayson Tatum for the remainder of their playoff campaign.
This time around, however, the 25-year-old swingman failed to find his stroke on the offensive end in the opening game of the series against Milwaukee. Brown only made 4-of-13 of his attempts from the field to account for a 30.8% shooting clip for a total of 12 points. He also had a bad day shooting from long distance by going just 3-of-9, with a couple of the makes coming late in the game when Boston was already down big. In addition to the shooting woes, Brown committed seven of those 18 turnovers.
The 2021 All-Star must make his presence felt and assert himself even more, given that Tatum didn't have that good of a game either with just 21 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Boston has no chance of beating the defending champions unless these two stars play better.
The Celtics can't afford to have another dismal outing in Game 2 with the series shifting to Milwaukee for the next two games after that. Boston was arguably the best team in the NBA for months, though, so expect a big bounce-back performance in Game 2 after making the necessary adjustments.
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