Lessons learned in the Bucks’ series will serve Boston well against the Sixers.
After winning Game 7 in Boston Saturday night, the Celtics head into the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Sixers. But, let’s face it: the Bucks gave the Celtics all they wanted and more.
Here are three things I took away from the back-and-forth series–things that Boston must heed to beat Philadelphia.
Courtesy: Portland Press-Herald
The Celtics’ offense versatility: Against the Bucks, the Celtics did a good job using almost everyone on the roster. Boston had five players who averaged in double digits: Horford 18.2. Brown 17.9, Rozier 17.6. Tatum 15.4, and Morris 12.6. Boston shared the ball well and multiple players stepped up when they were needed.
Antetokounmpo is a mismatch anywhere on the floor: Although Antetokounmpo doesn’t have a consistent three-pointer yet, he used a variety of other ways to score on just about every defender the Celtics assigned to him. He led his team in points (25.7), rebounds (9.6) and assists (6.7). Antetokounmpo is nearly unstoppable at this point and it’s scary to think about what will happen when his midrange shot gets more consistent and he adds the three-pointer to his arsenal.
Terry Rozier made sure everybody knew his name, especially Eric Bledsoe: The rivalry between Rozier and Bledsoe was a fascinating feature of the series. Rozier came out on top in this head-to-head match-up by improving his season averages of 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists by going 17.6, 4.3, and 6.7.
To beat the Sixers, the Celtics will need to sustain offensive versatility, avoid being dominated by Philadelphia’s inside men, and Rozier must continue playing big.
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Updated data as of April 30, 2018. Sources: MSN Sport, Basketball-Reference.com
