BOSTON — The Boston Celtics had only seen the Milwaukee Bucks once before their 103-100 loss Wednesday night, but the Bucks clearly present a challenge to the Celtics.
Milwaukee’s ability to put rangy, athletic lineups on the floor bothered Boston for most of the night, especially during the first half.
And if the two teams were to meet in the NBA playoffs, the Celtics will need to figure out how to attack the Bucks.
“They’ve been one of the best teams in the East over the last month and a half,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “So, I’m not surprised by their level and their level is really high. When we go small against them, we look small, and in the paint, it hurt us tonight. We’ve got to figure that out.”
The Bucks lineup of Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Malcolm Brogdon, Greg Monroe and Tony Snell presents matchup issues for the Celtics especially with their ability to switch on defense.
“We have to find some answers between now and the next time we play them,” Stevens said. “I felt like our small group was probably our most productive group, but at the same time, it’s pretty significant in what you are giving away in length.”
The Bucks’ defense held the Celtics scoreless for a six-minute stretch when Isaiah Thomas was on the bench as the C’s turned the ball over 16 times, leading to 26 Milwaukee points.
“They are an awkward team to play against,” center Al Horford said. “They defend a little different, they do things a little differently. They have a lot of length. It really challenges us to look at attacking them with different options.  Tonight we did that for the most part, but they were just a little bit better than us.”
The Celtics will try to figure the Bucks out when the two teams meet in the final game of the regular season on April 12.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
