COMMENTARY MILWAUKEE — It’s all tied up. Two days after the Celtics handed them their worst loss of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back…
COMMENTARY
MILWAUKEE — It’s all tied up.
Two days after the Celtics handed them their worst loss of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back to issue a beatdown of their own Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks seemed in control of the game from the get-go, although the Celtics stayed within striking distance before going cold in the third quarter.
“I thought they dominated a lot in the first half, and we were lucky to be down by four,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the 123-102 loss. “Then it just steamrolled on us. They were great tonight. They deserved to win, and we need to look at what we need to do better. We knew they were going to be really good tonight.”
Up by just three points midway through the third, the Bucks closed the quarter on a 24-2 run to build a comfortable 25-point cushion heading into the fourth. The Celtics proceeded to miss five of their first six shots in the final frame, and Stevens soon waved the white flag — subbing in a finishing lineup featuring the likes of Brad Wanamaker, Guerschon Yabusele, and Robert Williams.
With the victory, Milwaukee evened the series at one game apiece.
“You have to get back on track,” said forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored a team-high 29 points. “That’s what we did tonight. That’s how we’ve responded all year long. That’s what’s so great about this team.”
Here’s what we learned from Game 2:
“Playoff Kyrie” was nowhere to be found Tuesday.
Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving struggled in nearly all 31 of his minutes, finishing with just nine points on 4-for-18 shooting. In 57 career playoff games leading up to Game 2, Irving had failed to score in double-digits on just one occasion.
It was clear from tip-off that Irving was having an off night, as he went 0-for-6 in the first quarter — tying his most attempts without a make in a quarter this season. His first field goal came on a turnaround fadeaway rainbow along the baseline with 6 minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Irving drilled a 32-footer moments later, but there was no eruption of scoring that followed.
Irving’s third and fourth baskets came on layups at the beginning of the third, but he, like his teammates, went cold, while the Bucks pulled ahead.
