Celtics

Milwaukee enters Thursday's No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown against Boston with a three-game lead in the standings for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with six ...

The Celtics lead the NBA in [net rating](https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&sort=NET_RATING) (6.2) while the Bucks rank fifth (4.3) in net thanks to a 13th-ranked offense (114.4) and a second-ranked defense (110.2). [ transition plays.](https://www.nba.com/stats/players/transition?PerMode=PerGame&dir=D&sort=PTS) Tatum cracks the top 10 with 5.3 points per game coming in transition. The Bucks enter Thursday with the league’s top record at 55-21 (.724). One of those 32 wins sans Middleton came on Wednesday against Indiana as Holiday (career-high 51 points) and Antetokounmpo (triple-double) were able to lead the Bucks to a win over the shorthanded Pacers. In 10 games played in March, Middleton is averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists with a 53.1% effective field goal percentage. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.2 ppg) and Boston’s Jayson Tatum (30.1 ppg) rank fifth and sixth in the league in scoring, respectively, with both players posting career-best marks in scoring this season. The Celtics have not been as dominant against these teams at home (10-5) and are similar to the Bucks against top competition on the road (7-7). It has become routine to see teams score over 130 points in a game (there have been 238 such games so far this season compared to 184 last season), and individual players And they rank even higher on the road, with Milwaukee (25-14) posting the league’s top road record with Boston (24-15) a close second. When looking at the full-season standings, the Bucks and Celtics look very similar in their ability to win both at home and on the road. That means the Celtics would have to win out and the Bucks would have to lose out for Boston to take the No. Any hopes for the Celtics to catch the Bucks requires winning this game as it would not only cut the lead to two games, but would also clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker as the season series is tied at 1-1.

In a phone call with Kendrick Perkins, former Celtics president Danny Ainge gave a good reason to not worry about the team heading into the playoffs despite ...

Six games remain in the regular season, then they'll be on a mission to bring Banner 18 to TD Garden. "So he feels, and he kind of persuaded me into feeling his way a little bit that he believed that they're waiting for the big moment. "We got to talking about a lot of things around the league, and then we got to talking about the Celtics," Perkins recalled Thursday on Celtics Pregame Live.

The Celtics have been maddeningly inconsistent against bad teams this season, but they've also played their best basketball against their best opponents.

Forty-eight hours later, Boston [sleepwalked to a loss against a Wizards team missing two of its best players](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-wizards-takeaways-defense-doesnt-make-trip-washington?b). It’s unlikely the Celtics can change the minds of skeptics over the final six games of the season. [Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/malcolm-brogdon?b) [declared the Celtics were gunning for the No. So the question becomes, do you trust the Celtics to lock in when the playoffs arrive? It’s rather wild that Boston’s winning percentage against the top 10 teams in point differential (.681) is nearly identical to its mark against the bottom 10 (.689). The Celtics can shrug off losses like Tuesday night to the shorthanded Wizards but they don’t make you feel any better about their chances of locking in when it really matters.

In a phone call with Kendrick Perkins, former Celtics president Danny Ainge gave a good reason to not worry about the team heading into the playoffs despite ...

Thursday night's showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks was expected to be a back-and-forth battle.

haaaa 💯” [Here’s one](https://twitter.com/johnhollinger/status/1641608417143033857) from John Hollinger of The Athletic: “If this Bucks-Celtics margin holds, Pythagorus gonna get a lot of @ mentions heading into Eastern Conference playoffs.” [chined in](https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG/status/1641601498990739457): “Bucks playing possum or are the Celtics in playoff mode too much dog for em… The win was virtually in the bag for the Celtics before the final period even started.

With the Celtics looking to have locked the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, who could they face in the first round?

Anunoby](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/og-anunoby-QdEOH7cdW2HOrPHU/) and [Scottie Barnes](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/scottie-barnes-q6oHKUdJcW7PgLaq/). [Fred VanVleet](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/fred-vanvleet-DJq74red8aTFXbfg/), [Pascal Siakam](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/pascal-siakam-O4WMbrh2Eb51D9jq/), [O.G. [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/) and [Kevin Durant](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kevin-durant-ho6h1sijyi2PAURU/). Their net rating since then (plus-5.8 entering Wednesday’s loss to the [Lakers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/lakers/)) is proof they have played formidable ball. [Trae Young](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/trae-young-pMqz7IIVkDhPCk6P/) can hurt you from anywhere. The Heat aren’t the same caliber they were last season. The Raptors probably don’t have enough top-end talent or back-end depth to pull off a major playoff upset but they do have several tough, playoff-tested veterans willing to attack a challenge. The Raptors already had a number of quality starters in They hyped up the importance of a recent six-game road swing, then lost to the dreadful [Rockets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/rockets/) on the second game of that trip. Entering Wednesday, the Hawks offense ranked third in the [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/) since Quin Snyder took over as the team’s head coach. With barely more than a week left in the regular season, the standings aren’t yet crystalized but are beginning to grow more clear. [Brooklyn](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) on March 3, then collapsed two more times immediately afterward.

Visit ESPN for the game recap of the Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA basketball game on March 30, 2023.

[Thanasis Antetokounmpo](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3102533/thanasis-antetokounmpo) was ejected with 1:25 left for head-butting Boston’s [Blake Griffin](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3989/blake-griffin). Bucks coach [Mike Budenholzer](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/1468/mike-budenholzer) said after the game that Middleton got “three or four stitches” on his upper lip. [beat the Bucks in seven games in last season’s East semifinals.](https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-miami-heat-boston-celtics-nba-travel-7d6fd7328f8ecf8df8dfb59001a9ce22) [The Celtics trounced the Bucks 139-118 in Boston on Christmas Day](https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-jrue-holiday-b29a7da4a3d3dc63d4b61da1edaf11cd) and [lost 131-125 in overtime on Feb. This marked the first time an NBA team had one player score at least 50 points and another have a triple-double with at least 35 points in the same game. [Giannis Antetokounmpo](http://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032977/giannis-antetokounmpo), who led the Bucks with 24 points. The head-butting came after Griffin committed a flagrant-1 foul against Antetokounmpo. [Milwaukee Bucks](http://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/mil/milwaukee-bucks) in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics will have reason to feel confident if the teams meet in the playoffs for a second straight season. “We responded well from the jump,” Tatum said. If we play the same way, we’ll have the same outcome. They noted the Bucks were playing for a second straight night and shot just 37.6%, well below their norms. The Celtics (53-24) shot 22 of 43 from 3-point range and moved within two games of the Bucks (55-22). “It does matter,” Brown said about the possibility of earning the No.

Tatum finished with 40 points and eight rebounds, as the Celtics cruised to a 41-point win.

[Jazz](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/UTA/utah-jazz/), a quick road trip to play the Sixers, then back home for a two-game set with the [Raptors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/TOR/toronto-raptors/) and one versus the [Hawks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/ATL/atlanta-hawks/). He missed his first attempt, then got it stuck on automatic and finished 8-of-10 from deep in his best 3-point outing of the season, let alone since the break. Coming into Thursday's showdown with the Bucks, Tatum was 42-of-143 (29.4 percent) from 3-point land since the All-Star break and had not made more than six 3s in a game. As a team, the Celtics shot 22-of-43 from behind the arc to tie the fifth-most 3s they've hit in a game this season. Now, if they finish with identical records at the end of the season, the Celtics would get the top spot. Tatum responded with the best, and most important performance of his career -- a 46-point, nine-rebound masterpiece in Game 6 to keep the Celtics' season alive.

The Celtics outclassed the Bucks on Thursday with a firm statement that they're still the team to beat in the East. We share our takeaways from Boston's ...

Williams set the tone with his energy and made the most of his 19 minutes on the court. However, with only five games left in the regular season, they may have to win out to have a shot at earning homecourt advantage in the playoffs. That rest comes at a great time with Boston playing the second game of a back-to-back Friday night at TD Garden. It very well could wind up being the difference between the No. their toughest opponent in the conference. He put an exclamation mark on his All-NBA case by shooting 13-of-20 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3. The Bucks struggled from 3-point range all game and finished 14-for-43 (32.6 percent) from beyond the arc. the Wizards. [Jayson Tatum](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/jayson-tatum?b) and [Jaylen Brown](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/jaylen-brown) furthered their All-NBA-caliber seasons with 40 and 30 points, respectively. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Celtics scored 41 points in the second to take a 28-point lead into the half. Five games remain on the Celtics' regular-season schedule. the Utah Jazz on Friday.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid received the most points in Bontemps' poll with 790, while two-time reigning MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola ...

[Larry Bird](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/larry-bird) in 1984-86. [conducted in December](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35253462/nba-mvp-straw-poll-luka-giannis-tatum-100-league-insiders-make-their-picks). Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid received the most points in Bontemps' poll with 790, while two-time reigning MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was second with 788 points. He received zero first-place votes, one second-place vote, five third-place votes, 90 fourth-place votes and five fifth-place votes. [Forsberg: Celtics could pay price for not showing up vs. It's a great snapshot of what MVP voters are thinking, and with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, there's not many more opportunities for the top contenders to make a final statement.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 40 points while Jaylen Brown added 30 points as Boston beat Milwaukee by 41.

Thursday night was a scary sight for the rest of the Eastern Conference as the Boston Celtics laid an absolute smackdown on the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks ...

Highlights some weakpoints for MIL.

2) THIS IS WHY WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THIS MATCHUP WITH A TEAM ON THE SECOND NIGHT OF A BACK TO BACK They contained one of the league's best players after he scored 38 on Wednesday. It couldn't have come at a better time either as both teams are down to their last handful of games of the regular season.

The Celtics delivered a statement as they demolished the Bucks in Milwaukee on Thursday.

38 [Massachusetts sports betting](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masslive.com%2Fbetting%2Fmassachusetts%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjpignati%40masslive.com%7C010733e46ca1457bc99908db1fff178d%7C1fe6294574e64203848fb9b82929f9d4%7C0%7C0%7C638138952731386512%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Issu2DeyfBSPFI2VScVTGIkBOA0oIF8zi7h%2B6mfTSFg%3D&reserved=0)is live. Notably, Boston has also continued to play better basketball — that’s the most important aspect ahead of the playoffs, too. But the Celtics at least took care of their own games after blowing out the Bucks. Miami isn’t that far away from catching Brooklyn in the standings, though the Nets do have the tiebreaker. The fourth-place Cavs and fifth-place Knicks are in relatively comfortable spots as they don’t have any teams breathing down their necks. While the Celtics do have some cushion on the Sixers, they’ll still need to take care of business to at least lock up the No. [Get started with $200 in bonus bets](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/ma-sports-betting?wpcid=216010&wpcn=StateLaunch&wpcrid=&wpscn=&wpsrc=XL+Media) [as they look for the No. But the Celtics do have the tiebreaker 2-1, so all they need to do is tie the Bucks in the standings. The C’s improved to 53-24 on the season, but that’s still two games behind the 55-22 Bucks. [The Celtics delivered a statement as they demolished the Bucks 140-99](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/03/four-takeaways-as-celtics-crush-bucks-140-99-in-a-convincing-win-over-title-contenders.html) on Thursday in Milwaukee.

Boston cruised to a 140-99 win over the Bucks on Thursday, pushing the race for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference into the final week of the season.

"We're going to show how good of a team we are by the way we respond [Friday]," Tatum said. And the Celtics are looking to find some consistency heading into the postseason. We got to have some pride." "We got to change some stuff. If we play them again in the postseason, it's probably not going to be like this. But down the line if we see them again, it's going to be a tough matchup." They missed a lot of open shots, so there's some things we probably got to clean up. If we play the same way, we'll have the same outcome. Are we going to go and play the same way? Making the right play every time, this was a special one for them." Both teams have five games remaining in the regular season, and the Celtics still have hopes of catching the Bucks for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference into the final week of the season.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine for 70 points in Celtics' stellar two-way performance vs. Bucks.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Whether or not Boston catches the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics will have reason to feel confident if ...

The Bucks were playing one night after a 149-136 victory at Indiana in which they shot a season-high 62.4% from the floor with Jrue Holiday scoring 51 points and Antetokounmpo having 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. The Celtics trounced the Bucks 139-118 in Boston on Christmas Day and lost 131-125 in overtime on Feb. If we play the same way, we’ll have the same outcome. They noted the Bucks were playing for a second straight night and shot just 37.6%, well below their norms. Boston beat the Bucks in seven games in last season’s East semifinals. Jayson Tatum scored 40 points, Jaylen Brown added 30 and the Celtics steamrolled the NBA-leading Bucks 140-99 on Thursday night.

The Celtics were their worst and their best this week. The question isn't whether they're great but whether they can sustain greatness.

“We talked about it from the first day: Great teams stay the best version of themselves the longest, and when they’re not, they quickly get back to that,” Mazzulla said. But it was clear the Bucks still had greatness in them if they were healthy, and they’ve been the top team in the league this season as Boston eventually ceded ground. This team has been the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde this season, in so many scopes. But that has caused the Celtics’ foot to get a little light on the accelerator and let teams breeze right past them. It’s a given that Tatum hitting 3s is going to play a big role in whether Boston gets luck in its favor over a playoff run, but everyone hit their sweet spots at the right time and the Celtics’ game plan was a step ahead of the Bucks’ from the jump. “Last game was a bad loss all around, and we came in more focused and were locked in from the beginning.” But can the Celtics maintain that level of focus and precision long enough to win a playoff series on that same court? So is there growing confidence that despite falling behind this season, the Celtics could have the upper hand on their greatest threat to a title? They didn’t get their chance to retake first place, but they made it clear they have the recipe to beat the The Celtics had to erase any doubt that they can handle a championship moment. The question they’ve had to answer isn’t whether they can reach the highest of highs but whether they can sustain it. The Celtics had their worst game of the season in D.C., then followed it up with their best in Milwaukee on Thursday with a 140-99 win.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combine for 70 points as Celtics steamroll Bucks.

The Celtics put together one of their most impressive wins of the season against a tired Bucks team.

The race for the 1-seed is probably still over, but the Celtics locked in the season tiebreaker on Thursday. The Celtics now trail the Bucks by two games in the standings. On Friday, they take on the Jazz, who handed the Celtics a one-point loss on their recent road trip — a finish Grant Williams would Now the Celtics have an odd challenge — rather than trying to put a bad loss in the rearview, they have to bounce back from one of their most dominant, impressive wins of the season. Even if the Celtics weren’t trying to send a message, they gave the Bucks something to sit and think about for a couple of days. They know — and the Celtics know — how unreasonable their schedule was over the last few weeks. As a team, the Celtics were 22-for-43 from 3-point range. Jayson Tatum is having a mediocre season from 3-point range, but his 8-for-10 performance on Thursday bumped him up from 33.6 percent from behind the arc to 34.4 percent in just one game. The Bucks aren’t likely to shoot 3-for-20 from 3-point range often, and the Celtics aren’t likely to hang 75 first-half points on their vaunted defense repeatedly in the postseason. They won the season series, and their lone loss came without any of their starters. But the Celtics are still a nightmare matchup for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they can still space the Bucks to the 3-point line better than just about anyone else, and they can still punch holes in the Bucks’ defense. The Bucks were soundly beaten, but they were playing their second game in as many nights after handling the Pacers on Wednesday.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both impressive in the Celtics' blowout win over the Bucks on Thursday.

Next up, they’ll take on the Jazz on Friday in Boston as part of a back-to-back, which signifies another chance for the Celtics to take care of business. “Tonight was a good win on the road, but they all count as one,” Tatum said. There are still five games left in the Celtics’ regular season as they look to finish strong, regardless of what impact that will have in the standings. [Boston is also still in the race for the No. [Massachusetts sports betting](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masslive.com%2Fbetting%2Fmassachusetts%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjpignati%40masslive.com%7C010733e46ca1457bc99908db1fff178d%7C1fe6294574e64203848fb9b82929f9d4%7C0%7C0%7C638138952731386512%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Issu2DeyfBSPFI2VScVTGIkBOA0oIF8zi7h%2B6mfTSFg%3D&reserved=0)is live. Brown poured in 30 points, including 17 in the first quarter alone. Al Horford added it was “unbelievable” watching Brown and Tatum put on a show in Milwaukee as he’s noticed their individual growth this season. Of course, the Celtics won’t get too high off Thursday’s victory. [Get started with $200 in bonus bets](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/ma-sports-betting?wpcid=216010&wpcn=StateLaunch&wpcrid=&wpscn=&wpsrc=XL+Media) Jaylen Brown set the tone early for the Celtics then Jayson Tatum took that momentum and kept running with it. Tatum played just 31 minutes and Brown finished with 32 as neither star saw the court in the fourth quarter. “They are continuing to grow and I feel like they are really doing a good job of playing off one another and getting us involved,” Horford said.

The Celtics blew out the Bucks, then Thanasis got into it with Blake.

After an official video review, Griffin and Antetokounmpo were both given flagrant fouls with Antetokounmpo getting a flagrant 2 that led to his ejection.

I wanted to come out and get to a good start to get us going on the road,” Brown said. It’d be a good sign for us to come out and take care of business tomorrow. I came out aggressive a little bit and that helps us carry the momentum throughout the game.” After an official video review, Griffin and Antetokounmpo were both given flagrant fouls with Antetokounmpo getting a flagrant 2 that led to his ejection. Since then, Brown is averaging nearly 30 points per game, a number he hit during the team’s blowout win on Thursday night. [Get started with $200 in bonus bets](https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/ma-sports-betting?wpcid=216010&wpcn=StateLaunch&wpcrid=&wpscn=&wpsrc=XL+Media)

On Friday, the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics are set to face off in an NBA game at TD Garden. Let's take a closer look at each team's performance and make a ...

The Boston Celtics 53-24 are on cloud nine after their 140-99 dismantling of Milwaukee last time out, and on Friday night they welcome their next victim in ...

The Over is 20-7 in Utah's last 27 road games, and 7-3 when they're an underdog of 11 or more. With some big players and defensive options on the injury list, Utah have been playing at a much higher pace. The total has gone over in eight of the last 10 for Utah, most notably their 116-144 loss in Milwaukee. On the flip side, how much of their focus and energy did that Milwaukee game use up? To go into the home of the number one ranked team in the NBA, drop 140 on them, and hold them to less than 100. They find themselves two games back from Milwaukee, and with four of their five remaining games coming at home, Boston will do enough to snatch that top spot if Milwaukee slip up.

Simple as that,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said when asked about his level of concern about a potential playoff matchup against the Celtics. “They did it tonight.

Holiday seemed highly confident that the Bucks would be far better if they saw the Celtics in the postseason. They have so much in their bag that they can get to the basket as well. If Middleton can push Brown further away from the screen as well, he may be able to get over the top of it easier and stick closer to Brown. Just look at the three 3-pointers Brown hit in the first quarter of Thursday’s game. From the 3-point line Brown made 3-of-5, including his first three 3-point attempts in the first quarter, and Tatum hit eight of his 10 attempts from deep as well. We gotta find a way to get them (Brown and Tatum) to miss. “Got a lot of confidence in all three of those guys but at some point you’ve got to draw some lines.” The Bucks had a chance to take the tiebreaker from the Celtics on Thursday and leave themselves just one win away from sealing the No. While the Bucks did a number of things wrong on Thursday, the thing that stands out most about the loss is the massive differential in 3-point shooting. Thursday’s contest was a back-to-back for the Bucks as well as their fifth game in seven days, but they had no interest in making that an excuse after the game. And we came out and just kind of sh—ed the bed. And if we play the same way, gonna have the same outcome.

Jaylen Brown carried the Celtics early. After setting the pace and a good lead, Brown handed the baton to Jayson Tatum. Tatum basically finished off Milwaukee ...

In addition, when Williams was in, he was able to have a huge impact around the rim on both ends of the floor, because Lopez wasn’t out there. The challenge has been with that focus, engagement and effort coming and going. Mazzulla also did a good job of mostly playing Rob Williams when Lopez was off the floor. In the playoffs, Boston will probably only see teams they have to respect. That brings Brook Lopez up to the level of the ball, and that’s when you can attack the rim. The change also allowed Horford to come as the extra size at the rim when Antetokounmpo drove. That had the Bucks offense out of rhythm. It was as big of a spotlight as the two teams have had since their Christmas Day matchup. Marcus Smart ran the offense to perfection. Rob Williams raises both the Celtics floor and their ceiling. Jaylen Brown carried the Celtics early. If nothing else, they needed to remind everyone, themselves included, that the East runs through Boston, homecourt advantage or not.

How concerned is Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo about a potential playoff matchup against the Celtics? Here's what he said after Thursday night's loss in ...

Analyzing Friday's Utah Jazz at Boston Celtics odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

[List Wire](https://thelistwire.usatoday.com/) [Rookie Wire](https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/) [LeBron Wire](https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/) [Warriors Wire](https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/) [Thunder Wire](https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/) [Sixers Wire](https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/) [Rockets Wire](https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/) [Nets Wire](https://netswire.usatoday.com/) [Celtics Wire](https://celticswire.usatoday.com/) [Bulls Wire](https://bullswire.usatoday.com/) [Pick’em Challenge](https://dailyticket.usatoday.com/) and win! [Tipico Sportsbook’s](https://media.tipico.com/C.ashx?btag=a_94b_456c_utah-jazz-at-boston-celtics-odds-picks-and-predictions-2&affid=47&siteid=94&adid=456&c=utah-jazz-at-boston-celtics-odds-picks-and-predictions-2-pos1) lines around the Jazz vs.

How concerned is Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo about a potential playoff matchup against the Celtics? Here's what he said after Thursday night's loss in ...

But unless the Bucks can figure out some adjustments to slow down the Celtics, home court might not matter if these teams meet again in May. And yet the Celtics still took the Bucks to overtime in that Valentine's Day game. The Celtics have defended Antetokounmpo well. He also tallies fewer points, rebounds and assists per game versus the Celtics compared to his season averages. We've gotta have some pride. Boston closed out its 2022-23 season series versus Milwaukee with a 41-point beatdown at Fiserv Forum on Thursday night.

1) Do the Boston Celtics have the Milwaukee Bucks number? I am often the Drum Major leading the “don't read too much into the regular season game” parade. The ...

The Celtics might want revenge for a close loss against Utah earlier this month, but both teams appear to be resting players heading into the tilt.

The Celtics return home after a big win over the Bucks to face the Utah Jazz.

They have to stay focused on playing Celtics basketball and give extra effort because fatigue may be a factor down the stretch in this game and they have to overcome the fatigue and push themselves to go the extra mile. They have to be aggressive in going to the basket and also in moving the ball. Both are former Celtics assistant coaches and both are first year coaches who have done well in their first season. The Celtics are 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 110.9 while the Jazz are 25th with a defensive rating of 116.1. He is shooting 72% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. He shot 40% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. They need to focus on moving the ball and moving without the ball. They beat the Kings on Wednesday and will close out the trip on Sunday in Brooklyn. He is shooting 41.9% from the field and 29.1% from beyond the arc. Both are on the Friday injury list with Horford listed as questionable and Timelord listed as doubtful. The Jazz won the first game 118-117 in Utah on March 18. This is the second and final game between these two teams this season.

Each of these Massachusetts sportsbook promos is worthwhile, and you are welcome to choose all of these Celtics-Jazz betting promos for tonight's game.

Bolstering the Celtics' odds of protecting the TD Garden parquet, just as Utah did at Vivint Arena, is that they'll have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the ...

The Utah Jazz (36-40) will try to improve their slim playoff chances when they face the Boston Celtics (53-24) on Friday night. Utah snapped its four-game ...

The model has simulated Celtics vs. [Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Celtics vs. [Bucks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/MIL/milwaukee-bucks/) for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. You can head to SportsLine to [see its picks.](https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/celtics-vs-jazz-odds-line-spread-proven-model-reveals-nba-picks-predictions-for-mar-31-2023/#ttag=03312023_agg_cbssports_picks_basketball_nba_model_CelticsJazzNBAauto) Here are several [NBA betting lines](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/odds) for Jazz vs. [Lauri Markkanen](/nba/players/2844693/lauri-markkanen/) (hand), [Collin Sexton](/nba/players/2891955/collin-sexton/) (hamstring), [Jordan Clarkson](/nba/players/2135523/jordan-clarkson/) (finger), [Rudy Gay](/nba/players/1113157/rudy-gay/) (back) and [Kelly Olynyk](/nba/players/2067695/kelly-olynyk/) (illness) on Wednesday, but it was still able to beat San Antonio in a 128-117 final. [Jayson Tatum](/nba/players/2268018/jayson-tatum/) and [Jaylen Brown](/nba/players/2202365/jaylen-brown/) combined for 70 points in a win that gives Boston the tiebreaker over Milwaukee in the NBA standings. [top-rated NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/) over the past four-plus seasons. Jazz](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/game-forecast/NBA_20230331_UTA@BOS/). They have won five of the last six meetings between these teams and have covered the spread in eight of their last 11 games overall. Boston is coming off one of the most impressive wins of any team in the NBA this season, rolling to a 140-99 victory at Milwaukee on Thursday night. Jazz odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 232. Boston is favored by 13.5 points in the latest Celtics vs.

Still, things could be difficult for the Celtics with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Payton Pritchard all listed as questionable. Robert Williams ...

We saw a similar game plan earlier in the season as Boston steamrollered their way to the top of the Eastern Conference and looked like a team straight out of a video game. With so many diverse offensive weapons, the Celtics should have no problem attacking a defense that currently ranks 25th in the NBA, but only if they play to their strengths and take what the game is giving them. The annoying thing about rebuilding teams is that they don’t know when to quit, especially when they smell the blood of a powerhouse. Sure, Kessler is always going to be a threat when defending the rim, and he has a legitimate career as a high-end rim-protecting defender in front of him. Furthermore, Boston is likely looking to settle the score after Utah shocked the in their last encounter. Still, things could be difficult for the Celtics with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Payton Pritchard all listed as questionable.

Grant Williams confirmed the plane woes that forced the team to spend an extra night in Milwaukee after a blowout win on Thursday night. “We just had some ...

We know what our goal is and what we’re trying to do, trying to win every single night. Ultimately, the team was sent home after 25-30 minutes according to Williams and flew home Friday instead. “That’s the most important thing right now.” Some airplane troubles on Thursday night added to that as the team’s flight home from Milwaukee was delayed and ultimately moved to Friday morning after [Boston beat the Bucks on Thursday.](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/03/thanasis-antetokounmpo-ejected-for-blake-griffin-headbutt-in-celtics-blowout-win-over-bucks.html) “We just had some issues and flew out this morning around 10:30 so we landed around 1:30,” Williams said. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla even refused to acknowledge the flight woes in his pregame press conference.

Flight cancellation leads to the team flying home day of game against the Jazz. “At the end of the day, you have to be professional,” Grant Williams said.

“I learned a lot from him, just how he put his mark on our organization, especially in such a short period of time.” When he was asked if the flight had been delayed, he said Friday’s flight had landed on time. According to a league source, the team was told the pilot was unavailable to fly the plane. Mazzulla, also a Celtics assistant last season, said he took plenty from Hardy during their one year together. “It doesn’t matter,” Mazzulla said. The Celtics took a bus back to the team hotel and stayed there again.

Will Hardy only spent one season in Boston as the Celtics' top assistant coach, but he admitted how unusual his return to TD Garden on Friday night was. It was ...

I think the biggest thing I took away from last year was the understanding that when you’re a first-time head coach and you’re sort of starting your program, what things to focus on early on, and not to sell short the fact that trust can be built quickly if you really focus on the relationships. “I think that’s a big reason why last year our season had the turnaround that it did. The Jazz coach said that experience paid dividends for him in his first try this season as a head coach. There is the moment where because of the personal relationships, like I think Joe and I are probably both wondering what the other is thinking because you’re trying to make adjustments in the game because you’ve spent all of last season talking about what we would do or what we should do next game.” While Hardy and Mazzulla’s coaching paths moved in different directions after just one season, the Jazz coach certainly cherished his time with him. Now, for the second time in the matter of two weeks, he found himself coaching against them.

Here are five telling stats that illuminate just how dominant a victory it was: 1. Malcolm Brogdon was plus-41; Giannis Antetokounmpo was minus-32. Let's start ...

This is the type of defense the Celtics will need to play more often than not if they want to win a championship. They rotated, closed out and were much faster than the Bucks all night. Maybe they can ask the Jazz players to wear Bucks jerseys. [Celtics](https://www.celticsblog.com) responded convincingly with one of their best wins of the season. Brown and Tatum exploited mismatches and drove enough to keep the defense honest. Tatum was a preposterous 8-of-10 from 3 and Brown was 3-of-5. In just 19 minutes, he finished plus-20 and added seven rebounds. Even when he scored, he had to work hard in the paint and hit shots at tough angles. As for Antetokounmpo, the Celtics have appeared to figure out the formula better than anyone else. Al Horford was ready to fire away. His shot selection was great, he attacked the rim regularly and he added five assists and four steals. They dared him to beat them from the outside whenever possible, and he missed over and over.

On Friday night, the Boston Celtics are hosting the Utah Jazz in Massachusetts. For the game, they will have their two best players in the starting lineup, ...

Eastern Conference Standings (as of March 31) · Milwaukee Bucks (55-22) · Boston Celtics (53-24) -- 2 games back · Philadelphia 76ers (50-26) -- 4.5 GB · Cleveland ...

No. 7 seed Heat (assuming win over No. 8 seed Hawks (assuming loss to No. Boston could have had a real chance at the No. 1 and No. But let's just lay out the current standings and Boston's path to the East Finals from both the No.