As it stands right now, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks have a combined playoff record of 8-1. Both teams blew past their respective opponents in the first round. Boston was able to dismantle a Brooklyn Nets team that was expected by many to be a serious threat in the playoffs regardless of where they were seeded.
The Celtics swept the Nets 4-0. The Milwaukee Bucks had an exceptional first-round when they took on the Chicago Bulls. Milwaukee eliminated Chicago 4-1 to advance to the semifinal round and continue their title defense.
They defeated Chicago without one of their top players in Khris Middleton. Middleton suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in game two against the Bulls. According to reports, he will be out for the entire series against the Celtics and could miss the Eastern Conference Finals if Milwaukee gets past Boston.
Grayson Allen successfully stepped in and filled the void left behind by Middleton. Allen scored a total of 62 points on 34 field-goal attempts, including 14 for 20 from 3-point range. But can Milwaukee have the same type of success with Allen when facing a Celtics team that is highly proficient on defense? Once again, the staff at Strike 7 Sports has come together to make their picks for the series between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Derrick Branch
Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Milwaukee Bucks on his back throughout the season. He even did it against the Chicago Bulls in the opening round of the playoffs. The Boston Celtics will likely be the Bucks’ most difficult challenge in their title defense.
Antetokounmpo will have to face the Celtics without his counterpart, Khris Middleton, due to an MCL sprain in the previous series. However, the supporting casts around him did a phenomenal job facing the Chicago Bulls in the first round. Therefore, they will need to have a similar outing in every game against the Celtics.
They deal with a Celtics squad for an entire seven-game series without your second-best player. Antetokounmpo has consistently shown that he can elevate Milwaukee by himself to victory. However, once the playoffs start, the best teams will know how to make adjustments and take away an opponent’s best option. Milwaukee keeps this series close, but their title defense will close against the Boston Celtics.
Celtics win in 7.
Brian Bada
The second-round matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics has a chance to be the best series in the second round. The Celtics have been playing at an extremely high level since January. They have a superstar in Jayson Tatum, and he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. However, the most impressive thing about the Celtics is their defense. On the other hand, the Bucks will probably have to play this series without one of the best players in the NBA (National Basketball Association), Khris Middleton. This will be one of the biggest challenges in Giannis’s career, but if anyone can do it. It is him.
The Celtics will win in 6.
Liaudwin Seaberry
With the Milwaukee Bucks missing key players such as forward Kris Middleton and guard George Hill, they may struggle against a Boston Celtics squad with plenty of depth. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be at the center of anything good for the Celtics, just as Giannis Antetokoumpo will lead the charge for a Bucks squad coming off a first-round dismantling the Chicago Bulls. This series will come down to the Celtics’ ability to contain Giannis by forcing players like Jrue Holiday to step up and make plays down the stretch. While Tatum and Brown possess the talent to offset the dominance of Giannis, the defending champion Bucks will find a way to win this series.
Bucks in 6
Show Your Support
Support the great work of Strike 7 Sports by purchasing licensed NBA fan gear. Items ranged from hats, jerseys, t-shirts, socks, and more. We would greatly appreciate it if you would buy these items from the text link listed below. The revenue generated from today’s offer goes into the funding of the Strike 7 Sports platform. Click on the link below if you are interested.
Official NBA Store Merchandise Offers
[pickup_prop id=”23839″]
