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Bucks face playoff elimination after game 5 loss in Boston

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The Milwaukee Bucks return to the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Thursday night facing a must win in game six of their opening round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Boston jumped out to an early lead and stayed their, pulling out a 92-87 win over the Bucks at TD Garden.  The Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the series as each team has held serve on its home court.  The Bucks are hoping to do the same on Thursday.

The Bucks problem was their cold shooting.  They hit just 36.8% of their shots (32 of 87) from the field for the game and made just 27.3% of their three-pointers (9 of 33).

Khris Middleton scored 23 points to lead the Bucks, but Giannis Antetokounmpo took just 10 shots and was held to 16 points.

Jabari Parker added 17 points off the bench and Eric Bledsoe finished with 16 points (5 of 15 FG).

The Bucks made several runs in the second half to draw close, only to see the Celtics have an answer.

Al Horford led Boston with 22 points and 14 rebounds.  Terry Rozier added 16 points and Jaylen Brown had 14.  Boston also saw the return of Marcus Smart to their lineup.  He had nine points, three blocks and a steal in his return.

Seldom used Shabazz Muhammad had 11 points in a four-minute spurt for the Bucks, but they got little from their remaining reserves.  Thon Maker, Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova combined to score just two points on 1 of 12 shooting.

 

Bucks hoping for road victory in Boston tonight

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Thon Maker (File Photo) – Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Bucks look to become the first team in their series with the Boston Celtics to pick up a road victory when the two teams hook up tonight at TD Garden in Boston.

The Celtics won the first two games of the series in Boston.  The Bucks returned the favor by winning twice in Milwaukee, including Sunday’s 104-102 win at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.  The Bucks will need to win at least one time in Boston to advance to the second round.

The Bucks got little from their bench in the first two games of the series in Boston, but rebounded to make significant contributions in Milwaukee.  Two of the contributors in games three and four.  Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker didn’t play in the opener and sparingly in game two.  Both player helped improve the level of energy in the Bucks two home court wins.

Jabari Parker also made a big improvement in games three and four after seeing limited playing time in the first two games.  Parker came out of the first two games complaining about his minutes, but to his credit, he sought the advice of family and friends, as well as former college coach Mike Krzyzewski.  The message hit home because Parker combined to score 33 points during the last two games.

Milwaukee reserves outscored the Celtics reserves 81-49 in the two Bucks victories.

But its much easier to play well at home.  Now the series is back in Boston for game 5 tonight.  It is always more difficult, especially in the playoffs, to play well and win on the road.  At home, the crowd helps energize the players.  On the road, there’s no crowd that will help that process.  The players will have to create and maintain that energy on their own.  If the Bucks can do that, they’ll have a decent chance of becoming the first team in this series to win a road game.

Bucks even series with Celtics (AUDIO)

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Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks the ball against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s tip-in with 5.1 seconds left, gave the Milwaukee Bucks a 104-102 win over the Celtics on Sunday afternoon at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.  The victory means the Bucks will play at least one more game at the Bradley Center with game six on Thursday night.  Game five is Tuesday night in Boston.

The Celtics had a chance to tie or win it, but Marcus Morris shot was just off the mark as time expired, giving the Bucks their second straight win in the series.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting.  Khris Middleton added 23 and Jabari Parker came off the bench to score 16 points.

The Bucks led 51-35 at halftime and saw that advantage climb to 20 points (65-45) in the third quarter, but the Celtics came storming all the way back.  Jaylen Brown scored 19 of his 34 points in the second half.  The Celtics tied the game at 77 with more than nine minutes to play and it was back and forth the rest of the way.

Malcolm Brogdon finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting.  His biggest basket was a corner three in the final minute to give the Bucks a lead.

To win the series, the Bucks will need to win one game in Boston.  Their first chance comes Tuesday night at TD Garden.

AUDIO: Joe Prunty on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game winning tip-in :08

AUDIO: Khris Middleton says the Bucks reserves really brought the energy :18

Parker upset with minutes as Bucks host Celtics tonight (AUDIO)

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Jabari Parker File Photo: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

As the Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics in game three (8:30 p.m.) of their best-of-7 playoff series tonight, coach Joe Prunty will have to deal with a disgruntled player.

The Bucks level of intensity in the first two games of the series has been called into question, led by reserve forward Jabari Parker.

Since returning from an ACL injury, Parker has averaged 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while averaging 31 minutes in 31 games.  But in games one and two of their playoff series in Boston, Parker has averaged just over 12-minutes a game.

As Parker sat on the Bucks bench, he was visibly upset about his lack of playing time and Thursday, he opened up to reporters, saying it’s hard to play four minutes at a time and get into a groove.

Bucks coach Joe Prunty said the Bucks need Parker to make an impact.  He made it clear that he’s talking more about defense. [Read more…]

Bucks fall into 0-2 hole against Boston

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After turning it over 20 times in the series opening loss in overtime, the Milwaukee Bucks coughed it up 15 more times on Tuesday night, falling to the Boston Celtics 120-106 at TD Garden.  They’ll return to Milwaukee for games 3 and 4, trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven opening round series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 pts) and Khris Middleton (25 pts) combined for 55 points on 23 of 31 shooting from the field.  The rest of the team struggled to find any consistency at either end of the floor.

The Bucks shot 59.7% from the field and 41.2% from three-point distance, yet still lost by 14 points.  They struggled to defend and they struggled to rebound.  Those two areas, along with the turnovers were deciding factors in the outcome.

The Bucks lost the 50-50 battles in the opener.  Tuesday night, they simply were out hustled all over the floor. [Read more…]

Bucks fall to Boston in overtime in playoff opener (AUDIO)

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Giannis Antetokounmpo works against Boston’s Al Horford – Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Khris Middleton’s long buzzer-beating three-pointer forced overtime, but the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t finish the deal, falling to the Boston Celtics 113-107 on Sunday afternoon.

The Bucks were down by 10 points with less than 4 1/2 minutes to play, when they went on a 8-0 run to get back within striking distance.  With 11.1 seconds left, Malcolm Brogdon tied the game with a three-pointer.

Boston’s Terry Rozier bounced back to hit a three-pointer of his own with 0.5 seconds left before Middleton responded with his 35-footer to force overtime.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 35 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out late in overtime.  Middleton added 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists.  Brogdon is the only other Bucks player in double figures with 16 points.

The Bucks didn’t get enough elsewhere.  Eric Bledsoe finished with nine points and five turnovers before fouling out in overtime.  Tony Snell had 2 points in 33 minutes.  Jabari Parker played only 15 minutes and scored two points.  Jason Terry played 18 minutes and finished with three points. [Read more…]

Bucks open playoffs in Boston on Sunday

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The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t won a NBA playoff series since 2001.  They’re hoping to break the long dry spell this season.  They’ll open their first round, best-of-7 series with the Celtics in Boston on Sunday.

Last year, the Bucks actually jumped out in front of Toronto two games to one in their opening round series before the Raptors came charging back with three straight wins to send the Bucks to an early exit.

The Bucks go into the playoffs with a healthy roster, something they haven’t had all season long.  Guard’s Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova both returned to the lineup this past week which will give the Bucks some experienced depth.

The Bucks have players with playoff experience, but no player has won a playoff series in a Bucks uniform.  They’re hoping to change that against the Celtics, starting at noon on Sunday at TD Garden.

Bucks keep 1st round pick

The Bucks lost a tiebreaker to the Miami Heat on Friday, dropping to the 17th spot in the 2018 NBA draft.  What that means is the Bucks get to keep their first-round pick that could have gone to the Phoenix Suns as part of the trade that brought Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee and sent Greg Monroe to Phoenix.

The Bucks first-round pick would have gone to the Suns had it fallen between pick number 11-16 this year.

Phoenix will eventually get the Bucks first round pick, but depending on where the Bucks finish, the Suns could have to wait as long as the 2021 season to land that top selection.

 

Bucks tip off playoffs Sunday in Boston

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The Milwaukee Bucks will tip-off the First Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs in Boston on Sunday, April 15, when they take on the Celtics in a noon (CT) tip.  The game will be televised nationally on TNT.

The Bucks will host its first two home playoff games at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday, April 20 (8:30 p.m. CT) and Sunday, April 22 (noon CT).

This is the second straight season that the Bucks have made the postseason, marking the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns that the Bucks have appeared in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.  This is Milwaukee’s 30th playoff appearance in franchise history, and the fourth postseason berth in the last six seasons.  The Bucks and Celtics have met five times in the playoffs (most recently in 1987).  Milwaukee and Boston tied their 2017-18 season series, 2-2.

Playoff Schedule

April 15, at Boston  12 p.m.   TNT
April 17, at Boston    7 p.m.   TNT
April 20, at Milwaukee  8:30 p.m.  ESPN
April 22, at Milwaukee 12:00 p.m.  ABC
April 24, at Boston  TBD    TBD
April 26, at Milwaukee  TBD    TBD
April 28, at Boston  TBD     TNT

 

Bucks head into playoffs with a clunker

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The Philadelphia 76ers put 80 points on the board in the first half on Wednesday night and rolled to a 130-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season finale at the Wells Fargo Center.

The 76ers led 80-44 at the break and extended their franchise-record win streak to 16 straight games, locking up the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

Justin Anderson led the Sixers with 25 points and Dario Saric added 24.  Markelle Fultz had his first NBA triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the win.

Jabari Parker had 25 points to lead the Bucks, who finished the regular season with a 44-38 record.

The Bucks are the seven seed in the Eastern Conference and will open the playoffs against the Boston Celtics.  Philadelphia opens against the Miami Heat.

Giannis scores 40, but Bucks end 3-game win streak

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The Milwaukee Bucks dug a big hole early and saw their three-game win streak come to an end, falling to the Boston Celtics 111-100 on Monday night at TD Garden in Boston.

The Bucks fell behind by 20 points, got to within seven but would get no closer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 40 points on 14 of 24 shooting to lead the Bucks.  He made 12 of 14 free throws.  Khris Middleton added 19 and Eric Bledsoe 18 in the loss.

The Celtics shot 59.5% from the field and nine of 17 from three-point range in the first half.

The Bucks played most of the second half without a center in the lineup after John Henson and Thon Maker combined to go 0 for 10 with only four rebounds in nearly 30 minutes.  That’s when the Bucks cut the lead to seven before running out of steam.

Kyrie Irving had 32 points to lead the Celtics.

The Bucks return to action Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.