Fear the Deer: Bucks Try to Make It 3 Straight vs the Celtics

• The Bucks will try to win their third straight game when they return to Boston on Tuesday night. Can the shorthanded Celtics slow their roll?
• Will Terry Rozier continue to outplay Eric Bledsoe?
• Can Thon Maker continue to be a difference maker in the paint?

The NBA’s most thrilling first round series resumes on Tuesday, April 24th as the Celtics host the Bucks at TD Garden. Boston and Milwaukee have split the first four games, winning two games apiece on their own home courts.

All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Al Horford have produced as expected, but this series has been memorable because of the way younger, less heralded players like Terry Rozier have stepped up and seized the moment. The 24-year-old guard is averaging 16.3 points and seven assists and is almost making fans forget about Kyrie Irving thanks to his tenacious on-ball defense and clutch shooting. Eric Bledsoe will have no problem remembering Rozier’s name if he continues to hit daggers from deep.

“I don’t understand what Eric Bledsoe has done in this league to talk like this.” – Paul Pierce on Bledsoe saying he doesn’t know who Terry Rozier is.

(Via @ESPNNBA #TheJump) pic.twitter.com/kwiSC8Nkuo

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 18, 2018

On the other end of the court, Thon Maker is making the most of an injury to John Henson to show off his full range of skills. The long-limbed pivot had eight points and five swats in Milwaukee’s Game 4 win and was on the court for most of the fourth quarter. He’ll need to use every inch of his 87” wingspan in Game 5 to disrupt shots and keep the Celtics out of the paint.

Ryan Murphy 2017-18 Straight Up Record: 391-155 (71.6-percent)

Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Regular Season Team Stats

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

Head-to-Head Results

It should come as no surprise that this playoff series is knotted up, as Boston and Milwaukee each won two games apiece during their four-game regular season tilt. Expect another hotly contested, back-and-forth affair on Tuesday night.

Notable Injuries and Absences

 Straight Up Advice: Celtics (108-104)

Many pundits wrote off the Celtics when Kyrie Irving went down with a season-ending knee injury, but Boston has shown remarkable resilience in his absence. Rozier has emerged as a bona fide starter, Jayson Tatum has proven he can create plays for himself and others, and Jaylen Brown has become a coldblooded closer capable of winning games through sheer force of will.

The Celtics’ resilience was especially evident in Game 3 when they erased a 20-point deficit in the second half by grinding out possessions and limiting the Bucks’ transition game.

The Celtics’ resilience was especially evident in Game 3 when they erased a 20-point deficit in the second half by grinding out possessions and limiting the Bucks’ transition game. They slowly – and persistently – chipped away at the lead and came within one point of toppling Milwaukee with 29 seconds remaining.

Boston didn’t win, but they erased Milwaukee’s momentum and showed they wouldn’t fall apart in the face of adversity. It was an impressive statement from such a young team and it should imbue bettors with confidence that the Celtics can pull off a win on Tuesday night at TD Garden. Every game in this series has been won by the home team, and that trend should continue in Game 5.

Team Trends

Additional SU Picks (April 24rd)

There are two other games on the docket on Tuesday night and we have straight up picks for both of them!

Let us know who you’ve got in all three Tuesday night games in the comment section below.