Getty Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo
If the Milwaukee Bucks have revenge on their minds, they now have their chance to even the score with the Boston Celtics. These two teams met in the opening round of last season’s NBA playoffs with the Celtics as the No. 2 seed and Bucks No. 7 in the Eastern Conference. The series went the distance, but Boston was able to close it out in Game 7 on their home floor.
With Milwaukee’s clean sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, it marks the second time they’ve advanced out of the first round since 1989. Giannis Antetokounmpo and company now look to build off that and prove why they’re the No. 1 seed in the East this year.
Although the Celtics wound up as the four-seed after an up-and-down regular season, they impressed by sweeping the five-seed Indiana Pacers to begin the playoffs. The rematch between Milwaukee and Boston will be one of the multiple high-profile second-round matchups, and we’re going to preview the series, look at the schedule and offer a prediction.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics 2019 NBA Playoff Preview
The Bucks were exceptional this season behind one of the MVP favorites in Antetokounmpo and a talented roster, posting a 60-22 record and going 33-8 on their home floor. On the other side, the Celtics went 49-33 behind Kyrie Irving and a well-rounded group. Names like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward are among the many other talented names to watch in this series.
Over the span of the regular season, the Bucks and Celtics met three times, with Boston winning at home 117-113 in the first matchup. Milwaukee evened up the score in the second meeting, a 13-point road victory, while also winning a close one at home back in February by just one point.
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Both teams are obvious threats to win the Eastern Conference and possibly the NBA title, while the Celtics were arguably one of the primary favorites prior to the year. The Bucks have been dominant at home, as previously mentioned so the home court could be a key here for Mike Budenholzer’s team. This especially stands true when you consider the Celtics went just 21-20 on the road this season.
Bucks vs. Celtics Second Round NBA Playoff Schedule & Prediction
Note: Tentative times and dates are listed below with all information courtesy of Sports Media Watch. It’s worth noting that the first round will be wrapped up by April 28 with the second round slated to begin on April 29.
Although round two will begin on April 29 at the latest, there’s a chance dates and times can be changed depending on when the opening round wraps up. As Sports Media Group points out, conference semifinals matchups could potentially be moved up to April 27-28.
Sunday, April 28
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 1:00 p.m. ET (ABC)
Tuesday, April 30
- Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Friday, May 3
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
Monday, May 6
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, May 8
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
Friday, May 10
- *Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Time TBD (ESPN)
Monday, May 13
- *Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Time TBD (TNT)
*If necessary
Official times for the Celtics vs. Bucks series will be updated after the schedule is finalized in the coming days.
As far as the prediction on this series goes, the Celtics looked great in their first-round matchup with Indiana, but the Bucks were dominant. Obviously, the Pacers were a superior opponent, especially with the Pistons not having Blake Griffin early in the series. Regardless, I think the Bucks continue their strong play behind Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Bledsoe and get past Boston.
Even going one step further, this Milwaukee team looks more than talented enough to win the East and possibly even the NBA title this year.
Prediction: Bucks in seven games
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