Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are having a fairly decent season, although he could be better. But considering their current situation, they might have to settle for second or third seed by the end of the regular season. They rank second in the Eastern Conference with a 44-24 record. The Bucks are 10 games behind their upcoming opponents who will host them at the TD Garden.
Giannis Antetokounmpo appreciation post:
This season:
30.8 PPG
11.2 RPG
6.4 APG (Career High)
61.6% FG (Career High)2020 MVP season:
29.5 PPG/13.6 RPG/5.6 APG/55.3% FG2019 MVP season:
27.7 PPG/12.5 RPG/5.9 APG/57.8% FG— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2024
The Boston Celtics are having an exceptional season and all signs point towards them possibly winning the title this time. They rank atop the East with a 54-14 record while maintaining the best record in the league. The Celtics are coming off a six-game win streak as well. Both teams have already met twice taking one win each in the series. This will be their third meeting of the season after which their last battle will happen on April 10.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable for the Celtics vs. Bucks game
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having yet another MVP-caliber season averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. Unfortunately, he has been listed as questionable against the Celtics. Giannis is suffering from a hamstring ailment, which is why the Bucks are treading carefully. The 2x MVP has only missed four games during which the Bucks achieved a 3-1 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the 2nd Seed🦌😤 pic.twitter.com/i8XuhgfnVO
— Bucks Muse (@BucksMuse) March 16, 2024
Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report:
- MarJon Beauchamp (Probable)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Questionable)
Milwaukee Bucks Expected Lineup:
- Damian Lillard
- Malik Beasley
- Khris Middleton
- Bobby Portis
- Brook Lopez
Boston Celtics Injury Report:
- Jrue Holiday (Questionable)
- Sam Hauser (Questionable)
- Jaylen Brown (Questionable)
Boston Celtics Expected Lineup:
- Payton Pritchard
- Derrick White
- Jayson Tatum
- Al Horford
- Kristaps Porzingis
31 PTS
7 REB
3 AST
1 STLAnother stellar stat line from JB ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/o7XCxcAelS
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 19, 2024
The biggest setback that the Celtics will face is the absence of Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. Brown has been the team’s second-best scorer averaging 23.3 points per game. Holiday and himself are massive defensive pieces on the roster as well. But the Celtics have Porzingis to alleviate the void in Brown’s absence.
The Celtics are favored to win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks
The Celtics have a 6-4 record against the Bucks in their last ten matchups. In their previous matchup, the Celtics were beaten by 33 points. Boston’s starting lineup was terrible offensively with Brown being the only one scoring in double digits. He only had 10 points. The Bucks were able to capitalize on their scoring slump and take over. But it may not be as easy for the Bucks to overcome the Celtics this time.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo remains sidelined, the Bucks will have trouble matching the Celtics’ scoring capacity. Even though Brown is questionable, the Celtics have an undefeated record in his absence. They also shoot 39% from deep which is better than the Bucks’ 37.8% from beyond the arc.
It all depends on how Damian Lillard manages to take the load without Antetokounmpo in the picture. He has averaged 22.6 points per game against the Celtics, however, the latter might not be able to hold him down without Holiday in the lineup. But in terms of statistics, the Celtics seem far better.