BOSTON — The Boston Celtics appear to be back on track after their matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day. The result, a 139-118 win at TD Garden, has become all too familiar for the C’s — who seem to have found the key to success against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Celtics have won seven of their 12 matchups with the Bucks over the past two seasons, knocking Milwaukee out of the 2022 NBA playoffs and preventing it from defending its 2021 NBA Finals crown.
That .583 winning percentage might not sound all that impressive, but these Bucks aren’t a normal team. They roster who many believe to be the best basketball player in the world in Antetokounmpo and have won at a .644 clip overall since the start of the 2021-22 season.
So, how have the Celtics been able to get the better of the Bucks more often than not? The matchups.
“We’re fortunate to have great matchups for (Antetokounmpo),” Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame Sunday. “Between Al (Horford), Grant (Williams), Blake (Griffin), Malcolm (Brogdon), (Marcus) Smart — our whole team, really. We’re fortunate to have the ability to throw some different guys at him.”
In the latest matchup, Antetokounmpo finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists. That’s a great game for anyone, but all three numbers fall short of the two-time MVP’s season averages. Defensively, the Celtics forced him into doing the one thing he doesn’t excel at: shooting jumpers.
It certainly helps the Celtics have a pair of superstars of their own, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining for 70 points in the win, but the defensive matchups were drawn by role players — who each stepped up to the challenge, specifically during a fourth-quarter scuffle between Brown and Antetokounmpo.
“I’m not really sure what happened,” Brown said postgame. “I thought I was playing pretty physical defense, nothing dirty. … There’s a difference between trying to be a tough guy and letting your opponent know you’re not backing down.”
Antetokounmpo was unable to call for matchups, as the Celtics have physical defenders top to bottom. That was the key in Boston’s latest victory and will be in trying to procure any more in future matchups.
