The Boston Celtics routed the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series on Sunday afternoon, bottling up Giannis Antetokounmpo and stifling his supporting cast in a resounding 112-90 win.
This marks the second year in a row the Celtics and Bucks have met in the playoffs, with Boston emerging with a seven-game victory in the first round a year ago.
Of course, circumstances were quite a bit different last spring. The C's did not have Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward, and Antetokounmpo was not playing at the level he is today.
However, one constant has been Khris Middleton, who had a magnificent series against the Celtics last year but was held to 16 points on a pedestrian 5-of-12 shooting clip in Game 1 on Sunday.
Boston guard Jaylen Brown does not expect Middleton to be as passive in Game 2 and is ready for a more assertive Middleton on Tuesday night:
Jaylen Brown said he’s already mentally preparing for a more aggressive Khris Middleton in Game 2.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 29, 2019
Jaylen Brown had a terrific performance in the series opener, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting while making three 3-pointers. In addition, he threw down a poster dunk on Antetokounmpo.
The Celtics as a whole played arguably their best game of the season on Sunday, and now, Boston has an opportunity to put a stranglehold on this series by taking the first two games in Milwaukee.
If the Bucks want to even things up in Game 2, they will not only need a much better Antetokounmpo, but they will also need more production from guys like Middleton, especially with Malcolm Brogdon sidelined.
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