Dreamy Jayson Tatum and statement Celtics win over Bucks and Antetokounmpo

The Christmas game was neither the Knicks-Sixers nor the Mavericks-Lakers. The Christmas game was the Celtics – Bucks and it had diametrically opposed feelings for the two teams’ friends. The Boston One won (139-118) with Jayson Tatum making things and miracles, and the Milwaukee One suffered its third straight loss on the road, with Giannis Antetokounmpo staying far from his best at the TD Garden.

Entering the game with a mid-range shot, the Greek freak showed he was willing to “read” what the opposing defense was giving him, but he erred around the perimeter at spots where Elafias needed his moves to open. Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton (starter) did a great job with their goals, but beyond that, Milwaukee lacked the depth to take on last year’s finalists at home. The Bucks fell to 22-11 (14-3 home and 8-8 away) with one game left on the longest road trip of the season before returning home.

For their part, the Celtics went into the game 5-5 in the last ten, improving to 24-10 and holding both first place in the East and the best record in the entire NBA (13-5 at home and 11-5 away at home). Jayson Tatum was delightful, did unimaginable things in the third quarter where he scored 20 points and the truth is he almost single-handedly brought the Bucks to their knees, save for a great first half by Jaylen Brown (who Fire also caught fire in the final), he didn’t have to overdo it to act as a clear second pole in attack.

If there hadn’t been a cockfight between Brown – Giannis and Smart – Thanasis shortly before the end, everyone would have been happy. Although that rivalry has colored the East and perhaps moments like this will catapult it to…mythic levels in the face of the playoffs.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ next opponents are the Chicago Bulls in the United Center on Thursday night (December 29) at 3:00 a.m.

Antetokounmpo’s account

He went into play shooting, had six points on 3/5 2-point shooting in nine minutes of the first period and filled his stat line with three rebounds and two assists. But it wasn’t his night. He was ineffective for much of the competition before catching fire in the fourth period when all was decided. He fired some shots that he could have avoided, perhaps his mind was bogged down by the fact that the Celtics were shooting with outrageous efficiency. He too is eagerly awaiting the return of Khris Middleton to understand what level his team is really at.

27 points
8/17 two points
1/5 three points
8/12 shots
9 setbacks
3 assists
3 errors
3 fouls
7 earned fouls
-27 to +/-
38.8 USG%
at 35:19

54-40 bat points, 17-13 surprise points, 40-29 spare points, 22-10 opponent foul points, 6-9 second chance points (offensive rebounds).

The race

The Celtics stormed in the first four minutes as they scored 19 points(!) from 2/3 two-pointers and 5/6 three-pointers, with the starters all having at least one assist. And yet the Bucks didn’t panic or lose their composure. With the back five, they narrowed to four (30-26), but Houser hit a crazy 3-pointer, the home team’s eighth, for 36-28 in a first period that saw the Boston team shoot 8/13 from the scope .

Early in the second, the Celtics didn’t have the same efficiency while the Bucks tried to stay close to run their counterattack. They reduced to possession (47-44) with shots from Grayson Allen, but Giannis had two poor executions from the three and the home side went back to +7. Without having a long shot anymore. They ended the second period with a 0/5 and 0/3 shooting from Jaylen Brown in the breather while the Bucks watched the Holiday-Lopez duo have 25 points on 10/11 shooting. The ten mistakes were a lot, but the match was even.

They started the game with a lead, the Celtics also went into the second half with a lead. Tatum opened the gap again (72-65), Giannis couldn’t find any rhythm at all and the Bucks stayed alive thanks to Connaughton’s big shots that kept them fighting for the game. It’s just that the big problem, Tatum’s defense, wasn’t resolved until the final twelve minutes when the Boston superstar poured in 20 as the two teams entered the fourth and final quarter tied 100-86.

Grant Williams made two shots from the perimeter, the difference jumped to 19 (110-91) nine minutes before the final and that was it. As much as the Bucks wanted to push for an epic surprise, it was impossible. Jaylen Brown took over from Tatum, and the modest ceremony ended with the best team of the night walking away from their biggest, or at least one of their two biggest, rivals in the east.

THE DODECALPTA: 36-28, 62-61, 100-86, 139-118

BOSTON CELTICS (Joe Mazzula): Brown 29 (6/10 2-pointers, 5/9 3-pointers, 2/6 shots, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Tatum 41 (11/15 2-pointers, 3/7 3-pointers ). , 10/10 shots, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals), Horford 11 (3), White 12 (2 3-pointers, 3 rebounds, 5 assists), Smart 6 (3 rebounds, 8 assists), Grant Williams 11 (3/5 3-points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals), Brogdon 9 (1), Hauser 6 (2), Robert Williams 6, Griffin 2, Cornett 2, Pritchard 4

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Mike Budenholzer): Connaughton 15 (4/7 3-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), Giannis Antetokounmpo 27 (8/17 2-pointers, 1/5 3-pointers, 8/12 shots, 9 rebounds, 3 assists ). ), Lopez 16 (6/6 2-pointers, 1/2 3-pointers, 1/2 shots, 5 rebounds), Allen 8, Holiday 23 (5/8 2-pointers, 3/6 3-pointers, 4/ 4 shots, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals), Carter 7 (1), Portis 4 (9 rebounds), Matthews 2, Ingles 11 (2), Botchamp 5 (1), Mamukelasvili

Boston Celtics team stats: 31/46 2-pointers, 19/39 3-pointers, 20/25 shots, 41 rebounds, 29 assists, 9 steals, 1 block, 11 turnovers, 18 fouls

Milwaukee Bucks team stats: 29/48 2-pointers, 13/36 3-pointers, 21/27 shots, 47 rebounds, 22 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 15 turnovers, 16 fouls