Game Thread – Bucks @ Celtics – Fri. 7:30PM, Dec. 6, 2024

[Parliament10]

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Previously, With The BOSTON CELTICS . . .

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Spoiler:

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Regular Season, Victory Count, 2024-25
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Victory Cigar

(9) Jayson Tatum
(6) Payton Pritchard
(3) Jaylen Brown


Ties go to the Team. – Cut-off Time, is when the next Game Thread is made.
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(5) Jaylen Brown
(3) Derrick White
(2) Payton Pritchard
(2) Luke Kornet
(2) Jayson Tatum
(2) Kristaps Porziņģis
(1) Team/Coaches
(1) Al Horford

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[ConstableGeneva]

Doesn't mean ****, since personalities have changed through the years, but this is one of the closest matchups the Celtics have had in the East since Tatum was drafted.

Since 2017-18 season, Celtics W-L vs. the Bucks is 23-22, incl. playoffs, with a point differential of 1.4 per game. Tatum v. Giannis? 21-20 in favor of JT.

[Parliament10]

Read on Twitter

[ConstableGeneva]

INJURY REPORT:

BOS: Tatum, Porzingis, Horford are QUESTIONABLE.
MIL: Beauchamp is QUESTIONABLE; Giannis, Middleton, and Prince are PROBABLE.

[keevsnick1]

My guess is Tatum and Horford play, KP sits. Then on Monday KP plays and Horford sits. They split the back to back.

That's me assuming the Tatum injury designation is mostly just rest precaution. If its a real actual thing that's bothering him maybe he rests one of the back to back Bucks/Griz games.

[lon3lytoaster]

Read on Twitter

F this one is gonna count. We’re in trouble.

[MickeyDavis]

Middleton hasn't played in 7+ months. His contribution will be minimal.

[ConstableGeneva]

The last meeting between the two teams put the Bucks in a 2-8 hole to start the season. They've since dug themselves out of the grave by winning 9 of 11, same record as the Celtics in that span. Seven of those MIL wins came at home. Eight of the wins came against .500 or worse teams.

Pretty confident Horford playing in this one. Tatum too, unless his knee's truly bothering him. Save KP for Memphis OR not. Just unleash X-Man on his former team. Kornet's also been playing well lately.

[ConstableGeneva]

This would be a good time for Holiday to get back into the swing of things. If not, more PP who's killed the Bucks in 3 of the last 4 meetings. Here was his last game in TD Garden vs. Doc's deerlings.

Holiday's shooting efficiency has continued to drop. Right around league average now (57.4% TS%). Since Sam's resurgence, it's only Jrue and JB (54.9% TS%) who are not above average in true shooting among our top 10 guys.

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[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

[Fierce1]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

In the regular season, it's true that trade-off is not ideal.

But in the playoffs, that's more favorable as most players will have a lower % shooting the 3 because of the slower pace of the playoffs and playoff pressure.

This happened to the Cavs in the 1st rnd last season, against Orlando.

Donovan shot 25% from 3 and the Cavs needed a Game 7 to dispose of Orlando.

In the Finals, Dallas struggled from the 3pt line and the Cs took full advantage of that and ended up wrapping up the series in just 5 games.

No rebounds, no rings still applies and controlling the paint will determine the outcome of the Finals.

[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

In the regular season, it's true that trade-off is not ideal.

But in the playoffs, that's more favorable as most players will have a lower % shooting the 3 because of the slower pace of the playoffs and playoff pressure.

This happened to the Cavs in the 1st rnd last season, against Orlando.

Donovan shot 25% from 3 and the Cavs needed a Game 7 to dispose of Orlando.

In the Finals, Dallas struggled from the 3pt line and the Cs took full advantage of that and ended up wrapping up the series in just 5 games.

No rebounds, no rings still applies and controlling the paint will determine the outcome of the Finals.

Cs were really good in both last season. No need to sacrifice one for the other. Hopefully they continue to improve in both areas as season goes along.

[165bows]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

I’d wait to make too much of the second one - pretty small sample size, also overlaps with injuries to the back court starters as well.

[ConstableGeneva]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

I’d wait to make too much of the second one - pretty small sample size, also overlaps with injuries to the back court starters as well.

Yep, it's something to monitor. Back in 2022, the awesome stretch where we used Horford + Timelord to finish the season had us defending the paint AND the three-ball really, really well. So it's not like double bigs are bad per se.

[Fierce1]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

In the regular season, it's true that trade-off is not ideal.

But in the playoffs, that's more favorable as most players will have a lower % shooting the 3 because of the slower pace of the playoffs and playoff pressure.

This happened to the Cavs in the 1st rnd last season, against Orlando.

Donovan shot 25% from 3 and the Cavs needed a Game 7 to dispose of Orlando.

In the Finals, Dallas struggled from the 3pt line and the Cs took full advantage of that and ended up wrapping up the series in just 5 games.

No rebounds, no rings still applies and controlling the paint will determine the outcome of the Finals.

Cs were really good in both last season. No need to sacrifice one for the other. Hopefully they continue to improve in both areas as season goes along.

Yeah, the ideal is not to sacrifice one for the other.

But I think Joe's sticking with the double big in the regular season.

Guess the bottom line is as long as the Cs keep winning, it won't really matter.

[ThePigeon]

Middleton hasn't played in 7+ months. His contribution will be minimal.

Not necessarily
KP returned after 6+ months and his contribution in the first game was pretty good

[brackdan70]

Read on Twitter

Thank god. This game will count

[ConstableGeneva]

Before I forget, happy birthday to these two 7-year olds that's played a big part in JT's life since joining the league. What a coincidence that he gets to spend the day with both of them.

[165bows]

Celtics Opponent Shooting w/in 5 ft of Rim:

Pre-KP: 65.6% FG% (24th)
Since KP: 57.4% FG% (2nd)

Celtics Opponent Shooting, 25-29 ft:

Pre-KP: 33.3% FG% (3rd)
Since KP: 39.6% FG% (25th)

I am not happy with this trade-off. Use less double-big lineups, maybe?

I’d wait to make too much of the second one - pretty small sample size, also overlaps with injuries to the back court starters as well.

Yep, it's something to monitor. Back in 2022, the awesome stretch where we used Horford + Timelord to finish the season had us defending the paint AND the three-ball really, really well. So it's not like double bigs are bad per se.

Those days were awesome, loved the switch everything and dominate on defense edition the back half of that year. Just didn't have the O to go the distance unfortunately.

[165bows]

Middleton hasn't played in 7+ months. His contribution will be minimal.

Hmm this leaves us all in a bit of a quandary here.