Carlos Delfino, Bucks Take on Celtics As Paul Pierce Shoots for 20,000th Career Point

The Celtics have their first winning streak of the season: two. They're coming home from a solid effort in Detroit on Tuesday night, a 109-86 victory that they led from wire to wire, and the tail end of their back-to-back is a nationally televised tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks at the TD Garden.

The Bucks are also playing on back-to-back nights, having just lost to the Blazers in Milwaukee on Tuesday. They visit the Garden at 1-3, still looking to establish their winning ways this season.

When and Where

Bucks at Celtics
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m. (ESPN, CSNNE)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

Head to Head

The Celtics and Bucks split four games last season, with each team winning once at home and once on the road. The most memorable of the four contests was the season finale, a 106-95 Bucks win at the TD Garden on April 14, which forced the Celtics to settle for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. (That worked out OK for them, by the way.)

Key Matchup

Paul Pierce vs. Carlos Delfino

Delfino's starting to come into his own in year six. He's a deadly swingman that can score from anywhere on the floor, and he's had a torrid start to his season from beyond the arc. He's going to put up lots of shots, and Pierce will have to work hard to contest every one of them. Delfino's also a solid defender and a nice presence on the defensive glass. He's a good all-around player who will give Pierce problems if he's not ready.

Starting Lineups

Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Paul Pierce
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Shaquille O'Neal

Bucks
Point guard: Brandon Jennings
Shooting guard: John Salmons
Small forward: Carlos Delfino
Power forward: Drew Gooden
Center: Andrew Bogut

Stat Sheet

Celtics

• Paul Pierce has 19,977 career points. With 23 on Wednesday night, he could become the 36th player in NBA history to reach 20,000.
• Rajon Rondo has 67 assists this year. He holds the all-time NBA record for assists in the first four games of the season.
• The Celtics had only eight turnovers in Tuesday night's win over the Pistons, their lowest total of the season by far. Rondo had 17 assists and didn't turn the ball over once.

Bucks

• Carlos Delfino made three of his five 3-point attempts against the Blazers on Tuesday night. He's now 15-for-31 from downtown this season.
• Andrew Bogut has 42 rebounds in the first four games of the Bucks' season.
• Brandon Jennings played four games against the Celtics last season. He averaged only 14.5 points and 2.8 assists.

Black and Blue

Celtics

• Shaquille O'Neal hopes to return from the bruised right knee that kept him out of Tuesday night's game in Detroit.
• Avery Bradley has still yet to play following the ankle surgery he underwent this summer.
• Kendrick Perkins has a torn ACL and hopes to return in January.

Bucks

• Chris Douglas-Roberts has undergone surgery on his right eye and will miss a month.
• Darington Hobson had surgery on his left hip in October. He's out for the season.
• Michael Redd had left knee surgery in September. He is out indefinitely.

Outlook

The Bucks have started 1-3 this season, but they're better than this. Way better. This is a team that won 46 games last year and made big strides forward in the offseason — they should be expected to contend again this year in the Eastern Conference. They'll be looking for a big statement win in Boston on Wednesday night — national audience, respected opponent, big chance to make their presence known again. The Celtics can't take this game lightly, because the Bucks will no doubt be gunning for them from the opening tip.