Not the kind of franchise record to tip your hat to
As the typical saying goes, if you live by the three, you die by the three, and that was the pitfall for the Celtics.
Boston took a 1-0 deficit in their second-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks after a 101-89 loss on Sunday. While the Celtics’ defense held two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to just 9-for-25 from the field, it was the offense that lagged behind.
The Celtics set a new franchise low making their fewest 2-point field goals with only 10. Their previous low was on Dec. 9, 2016 in a game against the Toronto Raptors. In that game, they only made 14 2-point field goals, per Celtics.com’s Taylor Snow.
Nearly 60% of the shots taken by the Celtics were 3-point shots. Boston only made 36% (18-for-50) of those jumpers as they attempted to make up the double-digit deficit. The Celtics shot 33% overall (28-for-84) from the field.
The credit should go to the Bucks defense led by Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Bobby Portis, but it’s obvious the Celtics cannot have a repeat of Game 1.
Game 2 of the Celtics-Bucks series will be played on Tuesday at the TD Garden. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.