Bucks lose to Celtics again
Milwaukee falls behind, 2-0, in series as Boston wins, 120-106.
BOSTON - The Milwaukee Bucks didn't fix anything between Game 1 and Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
Turnovers remained a huge problem, to the tune of 15 giveaways leading to 21 points. The Celtics still owned the glass, putting in 20 second-chance points. Milwaukee again didn't get much of anything outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, who combined for 55 points on 23 for 31 shooting.
Unlike Sunday's Game 1, when at least Milwaukee battled to the end and used a late surge to force overtime, there was no fight from the Bucks on Tuesday night during a 120-106 loss at TD Garden that sent them home trailing 2-0 in the series.
The Bucks spent most of the second half trailing by double digits, simultaneously looking passionless, demoral-
ized and defeated. They shot 59.7% from the field and still got crushed. There were numerous reasons for that — the turnovers, the lack of defensive rebounds, the porous defense, the fruitless lineup rotations, the inability to force turnovers — but there was one major difference between the two teams that stood out:
Boston obviously was playing harder and it wasn't close. The Celtics were crisp offensively, attacked every possession with purpose and battled at both ends. The Bucks — for as well as they shot — looked disconnected offensively and couldn't always count on everyone getting back on defense.
If someone — a teammate or coach — was pushing for the Bucks to show more urgency, the message didn't take.
Milwaukee's malaise didn't start from the beginning, but like Game 1 it didn't take long to set in.
Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, got off to a torrid start to the game, going 4 of 4 from the field in the first 31⁄2 minutes.
As he went so did the Bucks, as they hung tight with the Celtics midway through the period.
Then Antetokounmpo checked out with the Bucks down by three and Milwaukee slipped behind by six by the time he came back in about three minutes later. By the end of the quarter, the Celtics' lead was 11, growing even after Antetokounmpo subbed back in.
After the opening 31⁄2 minutes Antetokounmpo didn't attempt a field goal and the Bucks went 5 of 12 from the field with six turnovers to close the quarter. Middleton, who had 31 points on Sunday, didn't so much as put up a shot in the first quarter, but ultimately finished with 25 points in the loss.
The Bucks trailed at halftime despite shooting 62.2% from the field. Ten turnovers leading to 11 Celtics points and 18 second-chance points for Boston had a lot to do with that, as did 16 points from Boston's Jaylen Brown and 14 from Terry Rozier.
Brown finished with a personal playoff-best 30 points in Boston's victory while Rozier added 23 points. In 78 minutes running the point for the Celtics during the series, Rozier heads into Game 3 with zero turnovers to his name.
With a close loss Sunday and a onesided defeat Tuesday, the Bucks have two days off to decide how much longer they want their season to last before they host the Celtics in Game 3 on Friday night.