Giannis Antetokounmpo Scores 30 as Bucks Roll Past Kyrie Irving, Celtics
The Milwaukee Bucks kept on rolling, getting their fourth straight win with a 120-107 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday.
When these two teams first met Nov. 1, Boston handed the Bucks their first loss of the season by making a franchise-record 24 three-pointers. Milwaukee exacted revenge by sending the Celtics to their third consecutive loss following an eight-game winning streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks' scoring barrage with 30 points and eight rebounds. Khris Middleton gave plenty of support with 21 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Kyrie Irving was held to 15 points on just 7-of-20 shooting. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics starters with 20 points but was just 5-of-15 from the field.
Budenholzer's Offense Makes Middleton Perfect No. 2 for Giannis
Just looking at the numbers for Middleton this season compared to last year, it seems as if he's been a worse player in 2018-19. His scoring average has dropped from 20.1 points per game to 17.4 (entering Friday), and his shooting is down 4.8 percent (46.6 to 41.8).
This is one of those instances where numbers are deceiving. Head coach Mike Budenholzer has changed Middleton's role in the offense significantly. The 27-year-old is averaging seven three-point attempts per game, two more than his career high set in 2017-18.
It's also hard to judge Middleton against the Celtics, who he always seems to torch when these teams get together:
Speaking to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill, Middleton addressed his current role for the Bucks with Antetokounmpo continuing his ascent as an MVP candidate and franchise cornerstone:
"Coming here it was kind of a new beginning, and I had to earn my spot. So at the point I'm at now, I still have that hungry mindset. I want to do great things, I still want to lead the team, but at the same time, you have to sacrifice certain parts of your game.
"Touches, shots. A little bit of everything, but I know it's best for the team. So I don't take that personally at all. I accepted that role, I accept who I am as a player and person."
Middleton's role as the Robin to Antetokounmpo's Batman is paying huge dividends for Milwaukee. The Bucks and Toronto Raptors are the only teams entering Friday's games ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency.
Per NBA.com, Middleton's 48.4 effective field-goal percentage on pull-up shots entering Friday was nearly identical to Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson's (48.6).
One Bucks official told Goodwill the team will "do everything we can to keep him" if he opts out of his contract after this season.
That speaks to how well Middleton has fit into Budenholzer's system and how essential he's been to Milwaukee's rise to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
Celtics Exposing Themselves as Pretenders
Legendary NFL head coach Bill Parcells once said, "you are what your record says you are."
At this point in the season, the Celtics have established they don't deserve to be considered among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Even coming off an eight-game winning streak from Nov. 26 through Dec. 14, the Celtics didn't beat one team currently at .500 during that stretch.
Ryen Russillo of ESPN and The Ringer highlighted a number of things that are problematic:
While there is no shame in losing to a Bucks team that has the second-best record in the East, the way Boston is playing is a cause for concern. The absence of Al Horford (knee) and Aron Baynes (finger) has exposed the team's lack of size and rebounding.
The Phoenix Suns had a plus-19 advantage on the glass in Wednesday's 111-103 win at TD Garden. The Bucks outrebounded the Celtics 55-36 on Friday.
That's already a bad trend for the Celtics, but it looks especially alarming with the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid looming on Christmas Day.
Horford and Baynes' injuries are just part of the problem facing head coach Brad Stevens heading into the new year. Gordon Hayward is still struggling to find a groove coming back from his leg injury. The former All-Star had 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting against Milwaukee.
"We just have to have consistency," Irving told reporters after Wednesday's loss to the Suns. "… It's like for some games that we've played, when we try, we're in the game all the time. And when we don't, we're clearly not."
There's no denying the raw talent in Boston, starting with Irving and Tatum, but this team hasn't played like a cohesive unit on a consistent basis.
Until Stevens figures out a way to get the most out of his roster, the Celtics don't deserve to be thought of as an NBA Finals contender, as the Bucks and Raptors have separated themselves from the pack.
What's Next?
The Bucks will travel to south Florida for a game against the Miami Heat on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Celtics will host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
