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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON – While the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were meeting at TD Garden for the third game of this Eastern Conference semifinal, all eyes were on the stars on both sides.
That evening, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who played as a seasoned veteran, repeatedly defying Boston's defense en route to 22 free throws and totaling 32 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Bucks to a 123-116 win over Kyrie Irving and the Celtics. The victory allowed Milwaukee to regain control of this series.
"I will continue to be aggressive," said Antetokounmpo. "That's what my teammates want me to do, I love going to the free throw line, I've worked on it, I'm shooting my free throws with confidence, so it's an easy point for me and my teammates … I will continue to be aggressive and make good games, and sometimes if I have to take it to the end, then I will do it until the end. "
The approach of Antetokounmpo, contrasting with that of Irving, was emblematic of how the evening went for both teams. Irving has been in these moments many times in his career, and much more often, he has delivered. Antetokounmpo, on the other hand, learns what life looks like as the dominant force of a favored team in real time.
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However, it was Antetokounmpo's aggression that set Milwaukee on pace, allowing him to have virtually all Boston strikers in trouble and start a parry to the foul line, especially in the third quarter. , when Milwaukee resumed the match.
Irving, meanwhile, spent his night playing the hero ball, lifting a lone horseman after the other and not doing enough to involve his teammates. The Celtics opted for far too many jumpers in this one, taking a shot in the paint (27) that the Bucks did not (26).
"That's what they do," said Gordon Hayward, who had a memorable night (2 vs. 8 for 10 points). "They really suck when people drive and meet you at the rim, sometimes there are two, three, four guys around, they do a good job after flying and trying to fight."
Much of the Celtics' difficulty in this case has been to try to find a way to prevent Antetokounmpo from crossing his defense and ending at the foul line.
Nothing worked.
The beauty of the Milwaukee system under Mike Budenholzer – and something that has allowed the Bucks to win the NBA's best record in the regular season – is to force the teams to make a choice: to pledge to try to get the ball rolling. stop Antetokounmpo, a 6-foot-11 balloon. bulldoze human, cannon on board or commit to trying to stop the many 3-point shooters that the Bucks have surrounded with him.
The Celtics did not do one or the other. Milwaukee scored 15 goals out of 37 on a 3-point distance, and Antetokounmpo's support formation – which many around the league think can hold in the limelight of a match of this magnitude – was won. (Even though Eric Bledsoe another awful game in Boston, finishing with nine points on a 4-on-15 shot).
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, went through Boston's defense repeatedly, touching virtually every player on the Celtics' wings and setting the tone for Milwaukee's takeover of the game in the second half. In the third quarter, Milwaukee was in the bonus in the eighth minute, allowing the Bucks to go to the line 17 times during this quarter, including eight thanks to Antetokounmpo.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens centered his center on Aron Baynes, playing only two minutes in favor of striker Semi Ojeleye. He said after the match that he was concerned about Baynes' ability to stand out by three-point shots.
"But we may have to come back with that," Stevens said, "just because he's protecting the paint a bit more, and he'll remove a load from the balloon, which I think is important."
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In other words: the rest of the Celtics did not, which allowed Antetokounmpo to attack more with impunity.
While he repeatedly walked the line of fouls, some complained of calls, including crowds of partisan spectators, who made their presence felt until Milwaukee opened the door. play in the second half.
In truth, Boston only fired four fewer free throws – and made six more. The difference in the game lies in the way the Celtics allowed the Bucks to dictate the conditions of engagement at both ends of the field, which had nothing to do with shots on goal and all to see with the approach of the stars of both teams. .
"Referees have a tough job," said Irving. "We have a hard job, obviously I could sit here and complain – we know the disparity and its nature – but I'm not going to put any focus on arbitration. that there are a lot of controllable things on our side that we can be better at. Obviously, arbitration will be part of it, you want things to go well, but they do not do it We have to be able to react in better conditions, we just have to respond better, and I think we'll do it from the fourth game. "
We have spent much of this season watching the Celtics' reaction to one crisis or another, often on their own. That night, Irving and the Celtics resorted to old habits, including forced shooting and fighting on the ground.
It was the time of year, however, when Irving was supposed to make the difference. Instead, it was Antetokounmpo – the presumptive league player of the day – who was there and, as a result, he took the field again for the Bucks.
All that remained to Irving was to declare that game 4 would be different and that he would attack paint more forcefully.
"I just have to keep my eyes on the edge and be effective in this area of painting," said Irving. "I'd like to have a more elaborate answer for you on what I need to do around this painting with my floater game, which I'm good at.
"But it's really about being effective, especially for the rest of the series. From that point on, I do not think you'll see another 8-for-22, any layups missed, or you're looking for referees for calls or anything like that. that … when I go there, I try to mark and finish with the contact, whether the referees call it or not. "
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