NBA Playoffs: Celtics Looking To Sweep Bucks Over The Weekend
Get your dust pans and brooms ready, the Boston Celtics have officially landed in Wisconsin with a two-game series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks heading into Game 3 on Friday night.
After a nail biting overtime win in Game 1, and a blowout win in Game 2, the Celtics head in the Bradley Center with a ton of momentum.
The Celtics have a good chance to go into Milwaukee and continue their domination on both ends of the floor and sweep the first round series.
But the odds are fairly neutral heading into the two upcoming games at the Bucks this weekend, with the Celtics splitting the season series in Milwaukee at 1-1.
Rising star Jaylen Brown has been simply sensational on the offensive end of the floor through the first two games.
In two games, Brown is averaging 25 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists, in 39.4 minutes-per-game. He’s shooting a favorable 51.2 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three.
Jaylen Brown is on fire! ???????????? pic.twitter.com/Pu9bEqvh53
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 18, 2018
Brown isn’t the only one going off in this series.
Terry Rozier III has been elevating his game since taking over as the lead guard of the Celtics when Kyrie Irving hit the shelf in the closing weeks of the regular season.
And right now Rozier is in the midst of his best season so far in the NBA and he’s currently one of the hottest players in the NBA Playoffs.
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— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2018
TERRY ROZIER. #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/b06IVgKRAu
Through two playoff games, Rozier is averaging 23 points-per-game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from deep. He’s also averaging 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and ZERO turnovers in 39 minutes-per-game.
RELATED: The Bucks’ Eric Bledsoe Hits The Classroom For ‘Rozier 101’
We also can’t forget about rookie sensation Jayson Tatum.
Jayson Tatum is the first Celtics player to score at least 15 points in his first career playoff game since Brian Shaw on April 28, 1989
— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) April 15, 2018
Through two games, Tatum is putting up a decent 11.5 points-per-game on 37 percent shooting from the field, while going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The swift footed forward has been a force on the defensive end, snagging 8.5 rebounds-per-game, to go along with 3.5 steals.
Prior to the start of the series, Al Horford was deemed the Celtics’ “X-Factor” and if he was to keep a 20-point-per-game mark, plus a handful of rebounds, the C’s would have an even better chance of knocking off the Bucks.
And guess what. Horford is doing just that, and the Celtics have been winning.
Sure it isn’t just because of Horford, but his 20 points, 8.5 rebounds, and four assists-per-game can’t go unnoticed. He’s also shooting 14.3 percent better from the field and more than 20 percent better from deep between the two playoffs games.
Al Horford gets the bucket with the defense draped all over him! pic.twitter.com/FmLjuIeMIE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 18, 2018
And he’s been playing tremendously well on the defensive end of the floor, especially having to cover and battle Giannis Antetokounmpo, night in and night out.
Speaking of Antetokounmpo, he’s heading home as the NBA’s second highest leading scorer in the playoffs with a monstrous 32.5 points-per-game on 63.2 percent shooting. And he ranks fifth in rebounds-per-game with 11, good for a double-double average in two against the Celtics.
He’s sniffing a triple-double with 7.5 assists in a whopping 44 minutes-per-game.
Being home in Milwaukee has been good for “The Greek Freak” this season.
In 39 regular season games, he averaged 27.7 points, 10 rebounds and 4.9 assists, while shooting better than 50 percent from the field in 37.1 minutes-per-game.
The Bucks will have to dig deep and find their rhythm on Friday night to avoid going down 3-0 heading into Sunday’s matinee matchup in Milwaukee.
But it’s tough to argue that the Celtics aren’t locked and loaded and ready go.
Between Brown, Rozier and Horford, plus the strong play of key role players Marcus Morris and Shane Larkin, the C’s are looking like a team that could make a legit push to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Especially if they continue to play well as a team on both ends of the floor.
RECAP: Brown Drops 30, C’s Take 2-0 Series Lead With Win Over Bucks
The Celtics and Bucks will tip-off Friday night at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 1:00p.m, with both games being in Milwaukee. If the Celtics were lose at least one game, Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Boston.
NOTE: The Bucks are 25-16 at home this season and the Celtics are 28-13 on the road.
UP NEXT: The Celtics (55-27/2-0) continue their first round action as they head to Milwaukee on Friday night to take on the Bucks (44-38/0-2) in Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs. Catch the call of the game with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell, live on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Pre-game coverage begins at 9:00 p.m., with tip-off set for 9:30 p.m.
— By John ‘The Dude’ Hardiman, 985TheSportsHub.com
John Hardiman is a Digital Producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for John? Hit him up on Twitter @HardiDude or e-mail him at john.hardiman@bbgi.com.
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