The first of the NBA’s four second-round matchups to be locked in is also one of the most intriguing. The Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the East, will face the No. 3 Bucks, with the series scheduled to tip off on Sunday night.
The Celtics were comfortably the NBA’s best team during the final two-and-a-half months of the 2021/22 regular season. After putting up a .500 record in their first 50 games, the C’s went 26-6 from January 29 onward — no other NBA team lost fewer than nine games during that stretch.
Boston’s advanced statistics backed up the team’s dominant record. The club led the league in both offensive rating (120.7) and defensive rating (105.9), resulting in an eye-popping 14.8 overall net rating. The next-best teams during that stretch were Memphis at +8.8 and Phoenix at +6.8.
The Celtics have carried that momentum into the postseason. With many experts forecasting the No. 7 Nets to pull off the upset, Boston became the only team to complete a first-round sweep. It was Jayson Tatum – not Kevin Durant – who looked like the best player in the series, averaging 29.5 PPG and 7.3 APG with a .456/.419/.868 shooting line, compared to Durant’s 26.3 PPG and 6.3 APG on .386/.333/.8985 shooting.
Tatum will face another serious challenge in round two, when he and the Celtics go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending-champion Bucks. The Bucks lost Khris Middleton to a knee injury in Game 2 of their series vs. Chicago, but somehow looked even better after that, making quick work of Chicago as Antetokounmpo led the way with 28.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 6.2 APG on 56.8% shooting.
Middleton isn’t expected to be back in the second round, which is a tough blow for the Bucks. But this is a deep, dangerous team even without the All-Star forward.
The Bucks have shown they’re capable of winning while shorthanded in the postseason, having gone 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals last year without Antetokounmpo before dominating the Bulls in three games without Middleton this year.
It’s Milwaukee, not Boston, that has posted the best defensive rating (94.4) and net rating (+13.8) of the postseason so far. But the Celtics will have home court advantage in the series, which could be a factor — the teams split their four regular season meetings, with each club winning two games at home.
Which team will advance to the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Celtics/Bucks!
Until it is no longer possible, Bucks fans should keep chanting Bucks in six.
Gotta have some fun everyone.
With a healthy Middleton I’d say Bucks in 6 or 7, but I think the Celtics are gonna win this one now.
I’m leaning just slightly toward Boston, unless Allen stays hot, Pat C has finally found his shot, and the Bucks as a team figure out how to not commit careless turnovers.
Call me a pessimistic Bucks fan, but so far this season it has worked.
Im going with the Bucks. Boston swept BRK but all the games were winnable for the Nets.
Nets are a small team, Bucks are a giant team.
Nets can’t defend, Bucks can lockdown for stretches.
KD isn’t in his prime, Giannis is entering his prime.
It could go either way, but ill take the Bucks even without Krhis.
I had Bucks making ECF originally. I think it’ll come down to can Robert Williams and that great defense contain Giannis? Without Middleton, the pressure is on Giannis to perform like the best player on the planet. It was very easy to show up against my Bulls because we have no interior defense so it was painful to watch him get position 2-3 feet away from the basket majority of the last series. Coaching I think Ike has done a great job overall and Boston feels like they’re a team of destiny this season. I want to see how they guard Tatum this series, and will they double him and make Smart and Brown beat them?
Bucks in 6, but I wouldn’t be shocked if C’s win this series. Tatum is playing on a Kobe level in terms of playmaking, defense, shot selection, and he has become a COMPLETE player now in my mind. He really grew up in the last series both on offense and defense and of course leadership, something that franchise players these days take very seriously.
Yes I’ll agree to your last paragraph. If Giannis can beat this Boston team without Middleton and win his second ring, this will be epic and a massive boost to his all time status.
Yeah, unless they can “steal a couple games” where someone else really jumps up, I just don’t see how the Bucks come out of this series. Giannis is great and I like Jrue but I’ll go with Boston in. 6
Celtics have usually been a bad matchup for bucks (despite season series). Love Gianis, but C’s a hot right now and have home advantage.
The Bucks aren’t exactly cold right now, they’ve been very good since the All Star break, they’re the defending champs so they know how to get it done and they’ve got the best player in the league in Giannis.
I hope this series is as epic as it looks to be on paper. I am picking the Celtics but they going to have to earn it.
Probably the least important stat here is the net rating. One would expect a better net rating playing against a multi injured Bulls team than playing against the preseason favorite with two legit superstars (much as I dislike Irving, he can be great). Either way it should go at least 6 games.
I got the winner taking the whole thing
Giannis will put the clamps on Tatum. And Holiday will handle Brown. Bucks in six. They are a deeper team. Celtics D will not shut down Giannis.
MIL will win it as BOS can’t stop Giannis… & that will be the difference!
This is completely a dream match-up for the second round, and the comments here seem to agree. Should be an entertaining and well-played series, just as it should be! Let it rock, gentlemen…
still don’t trust Boston so we know they will win knowing how my predictions go.
Celtic team defense super. Giannis has good defender on him. Injuries uneven. Boston in 6.