In a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks went head-to-head on Thursday, March 30.
Boston came away from that game with a 41-point victory over Milwaukee, courtesy of some impressive shot-making from deep, where they went 22-of-43 on their long-range attempts.
Following the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer opened up on how Boston carved his team open throughout the contest, crediting their multi-faceted offensive approach.
“I mean, they execute,” Budenholzer said. “They cut hard, they screen hard, and they shoot them off the dribble. That’s probably the biggest thing. So, we got to look at it; we got to find a way to be better against the three-point line.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sounds Off After Loss
Shortly after the game ended, Giannis Antetokounmpo sat in front of the media for his post-game press conference, where he admitted Milwaukee got their ‘a** kicked’ and warned them it could happen again in the postseason if they didn’t fix their issues.
“Know what the deal is? It’s not hard to understand,” Giannis said. “If you you’re not focused. If you don’t play hard, they’re gonna kick ass, simple as that. They did it tonight and won by 40. If you’re not locked in, if you don’t play hard, and if don’t go out there to make it tough for them, they’re gonna kick out ass. Simple as that.
There’s no level of concern. It’s a fact. So now you have this in your head. And this is up to us to see how we’re gonna deal with it. Are we gonna go and play the same way? And if we play the same way, gonna have the same outcome. Gotta change some stuff. We gotta compete. Gotta have some pride, you know, and hopefully, we can do that; then, if we do that, we have a chance to win.”
Celtics Will Have ‘No Consolation Prize’
According to an Eastern Conference GM, who spoke with Heavy On Sports’ Steve Bulpett under the condition of anonymity, the Celtics will have no consolation prize if they fail to win a championship this season.
NBA execs and scouts tell @SteveBHoop what some concerns about the @celtics might be …
At @HeavyOnSports:
“Other teams have some different things working because of where they are and how they’re just trying to get better. With Boston, it’s pretty much either you win it all or it’s a failure,” one general manager told Heavy. “There’s no consolation prize for that team. They should have won it last year, but they screwed it up. But you can say, ‘Oh, it was their first time in the Finals, and they were going against an experienced champion.’ This year, it’s all or nothing for Boston.”
Boston has been among the leading contenders for a championship this season, and with a stellar win over Milwaukee, will have a renewed confidence that they can overcome even the toughest of tests in the post-season.
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Mike Budenholzer Issues Statement on Celtics Offense After Bucks Loss