The Boston Celtics entered Thursday’s NBA action at an Association best 29-8 on the season. Their road date with the Milwaukee Bucks was being pegged as a perfect mid-season matchup between the two Eastern Conference rivals.
Boston had won the first meeting between these teams back in November and seemed destined to make another statement.
That’s why they actually play the game. Joe Mazzulla’s squad was completely outclassed in every way Thursday night. Boston fell itself down 41-23 after the first half. The team then enjoyed a 75-38 halftime deficit. These 37 points represented the most Boston has trailed by at halftime since all the way back in 1967. That’s not a typo.
The final score of 135-102 wasn’t indicative of just how big of a blowout this one was. Boston even pulled its starters at halftime. Milwaukee knew that it made no sense to run it up with these two potentially headed for a matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
But it was bad. Really, really bad for the Celtics.
Boston was coming off a hard-fought overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half of a back-to-back Wednesday evening. Perhaps, that could explain away what we saw from this team.
What we do know is that nothing went right for the Celtics in this one. NBA MVP candidate Jayson Tatum scored seven points in 16 minutes. Boston was minus-31 with him on the court. Running mate Jaylen Brown added 10 points on just 5-14 shooting. Not a single member of the Celtics starting five was better than the minus-14 Derrick White posted.
On the other end, Milwaukee had it going. Giannis Antetokounmpo hit on 10-of-13 shots while scoring 24 points in 26 minutes. Damian Lillard finished with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis dropped a team high 28 off the bench.
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NBA world reacts to Boston Celtics being destroyed by Milwaukee Bucks
Those either covering the game or watching it from home were thrown for a loop by the performances of these two Eastern Conference rivals.
Sure, we won’t be talking about this once the playoffs start during the spring. But for one night, the iteration of the Bucks most expected showed up. The same thing obviously can’t be said for Boston.
TNT was not having it.
Boston fell victim to the Charles Barkley curse, too.
Shaquille O’Neal didn’t do himself any favors, either.
A look at the Boston Celtics starters being benched for the entire second half.
Other reactions were just as good, too.