Things are rolling in Milwaukee. The Bucks picked up their fourth consecutive victory Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets, pushing their record over .500 at 4-3. They will look to keep their streak alive as the gritty Boston Celtics come to town, looking to begin their own win streak as they defeated the Washington Wizards 118-98 on Friday night.
If there’s one word to describe the Boston Celtics, it’s relentless. Take a look at their lineup. They don’t have a player that stands out beyond any of the others. They don’t have their franchise player yet. Brad Stevens, much like Jason Kidd, has extracted more than experts expected him to regarding his team. Stevens has raised the praises of his team since he first took over back in 2013.
photo: bucks.com
One of the gritty characteristics that Stevens evokes upon his team is his stressing of turnovers. Boston currently leads the league in forcing turnovers at 20.8 per game. The Bucks will definitely be tested in this category all game long, as the Celtics, like the Bucks, are not known to take any plays off.
Boston’s defense struggled to begin the year, as in their first three games, the Celtics allowed an average of 115.3 points per game. However, they have found their footing as they have smoothed things out, as they have only allowed 90.3 points per game in their last four games.
The key factor for the Bucks is going to be Greg Monroe. It’s going to be tough to get things going on the perimeter for shooters such as Khris Middleton due to Boston’s stifling perimeter defense. Milwaukee’s interior game is going to have to be strong, and its roots starts with Greg Monroe.
As for the Bucks shooting, the guy to keep an eye on is Greivis Vasquez. The Venezuelan offseason pickup has failed to find his groove so far in Milwaukee, especially after his horrendous performance from the floor Saturday night, in which he went 0-10 from the floor.
Michael Carter-Williams and O.J. Mayo are both out for tonight’s matchup.
All in all, tonight will be a tough matchup for the Bucks. They will be tested on the court both physically and mentally. A win against this Celtics team would go a long way in telling the rest of the league that the Bucks are once again, for real.
Boston Celtics (2-3, 0-3 Away) vs Milwaukee Bucks (4-3, 2-2 Home)
November 10, 2015
BMO Harris Bradley Center
7:00 pm CT
Fox Sports Wisconsin | AM 620 WTMJ
Probable Starters
Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks
Isaiah Thomas PG Tyler Ennis
Avery Bradley SG Khris Middleton
Jae Crowder SF Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jared Sullinger PF Jabari Parker
Amir Johnson C Greg Monroe