With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown out due to injury, many feared that the Boston Celtics' Tuesday night clash against the Milwaukee Bucks would end up being a blowout, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday active. However, it seems like almost every game between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks becomes a matchup of epic proportions regardless of who's available to suit up for either team.

Despite the Celtics' shorthandedness, they gave everything the Bucks everything they could handle. Even then, it was Holiday who cold-bloodedly shut down the Celtics' hopes en route to a 131-125 victory. As a result of their latest win, the Bucks find themselves a mere half-game behind the Celtics on the win/loss column. One may think that the Bucks would sense blood and clinch homecourt advantage, at least in the Eastern Conference.

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo has his sights set on nabbing more than the one-seed. In particular, all Antetokounmpo cares about is the Bucks' process – and whether they're winning by playing “good basketball”.

“We're playing good basketball, that's what I care about. Now if we finish first, good. If we finish second, great. If we finish third, better. It doesn't really matter. At the end of the day, you've got to prepare your mind that in order for you to win a championship, you've got to play hard teams,” Antetokounmpo said in his postgame presser, per Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Article Continues Below

As one may remember, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks finished just third in the Eastern Conference during the year they went all the way to the NBA Finals and claimed their first championship since 1971 and only their second in franchise history.

In addition, the Bucks also finished third last year, although they weren't able to go as deep as they would have liked in the playoffs thanks in large part to Khris Middleton's injury.

Thus, it's not too big of a surprise that Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't too fussed about not claiming the one-seed. For the Bucks, making it into the postseason with a fully healthy roster is of utmost importance, their brewing rivalry with the Celtics notwithstanding.