Chad Finn: 7 thoughts on Game 1 of the Celtics-Bucks series
COMMENTARY
One game and one Celtics overtime victory into their first-round series with the Bucks, and we know the truth: Anything is possible in this series, and not in the way that delirious new champion Kevin Garnett meant 10 years ago.
Anything can happen in this series. Anything. We’ve already seen two made 3-pointers in the final second of regulation, a masterful Al Horford performance, a masterful Giannis Antetokounmpo performance, a 15-0 Celtics first quarter run, a 26-4 Bucks second quarter run, a Tyler Zeller breakaway dunk, and a dozen or so other plot twists that probably merit their own separate column.
If you told me this series is going seven games, with all four going overtime and Marcus Smart coming back from injury to hit the winning shot in the clincher, I’d be inclined to believe you.
One game was enough to know. Anything is possible.
Before everything to come is revealed, let’s take a look back at some of the memorable performers in Game 1:
Al Horford: I can’t remember if it was Tommy or Scal – it might have been both – who emphasized at halftime on the NBCSN broadcast that the Celtics needed to do a better job of involving Horford in the second half. That’s a play on a common refrain regarding Horford, and an accurate one: The Celtics sometimes forget to involve their most well-rounded current player, and sometimes he forgets to involve himself.
The Celtics trailed 47-44 at the half; Horford had 8 points and 5 rebounds. Fortunately, and not surprisingly, Brad Stevens recognized the same thing about his usage. Horford got the ball early in the third quarter and often in the second half, and what the Celtics got in return was a superb overall performance.
Highlights: A perfect pass to Jaylen Brown to make it 51-49, Celtics. A three at the top of the circle to make it 82-75 with 6:10 left. And several huge free throws down the stretch. His final line: 24 points on 5 for 8 shooting from the field and 13 of 14 from the line, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. Average? Sure, assuming that is now a synonym for exceptional.
Marcus Morris: I’ll admit it. I’ve probably admitted it already, probably a couple of times. But it’s worth re-admitting. I did not like it when Danny Ainge traded Avery Bradley to the Pistons for Morris over the summer. Bradley was culturally important to the Celtics, someone who played relentless defense and team-first basketball, a teammate who earned his peers’ respect.
I still like Bradley, all these months later. But I love the trade. Morris, who had 21 points and 7 rebounds Sunday, including a 4-pointer to cap the first quarter, brings the Celtics so much savvy and toughness, not to mention a fearlessness when it comes to taking the big shot in the big moment. Nice trade, Danny. As usual.
Jayson Tatum: I cannot wait to see what he becomes, because I’m convinced he is going to become a perennial All-Star and the best or co-best player on a championship team. But let’s not forget to enjoy the fun of his journey to superstardom. Sunday brought a significant step. Tatum had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in 44 minutes in his first career playoff game — at age 20. Markus Morris put it best postgame: “Calling him ‘Rook’ is the only rookie thing about him.’’
Terry Rozier: He’s a little out-of-control sometimes, as if he believes everything in Kyrie Irving’s repertoire also belongs to him, including some very high-degree-of-difficulty shots. But his confidence never seems to waver, and that coupled with his high-voltage athleticism often leads to him making a face-saving spectacular play within moments of making an erratic one.
We saw it Sunday, when he allowed Malcolm Brogdon (who is to rookie of the year winners what Rick Porcello is to Cy Young winners) a wide-open shot to tie the game with seconds left in regulation, then countered by burying a 3 to briefly put the Celtics ahead with a half-second left. The move broke so many Bucks’ ankles that reportedly even Brian Winters is now on crutches.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Can you imagine trying to guard this guy? His eurostep covers three-quarters of the court. When he jumps, reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere is required before he dunks. His arms are longer and more pliable than Plastic Man’s. Oh, and he gets all the superstar calls too, which only makes him more aggressive.
Antetokounmpo was frighteningly and typically excellent, with 35 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists in 44 minutes. He came close to a triple-double, and in an unconventional way he probably had one if you tally up his 6 fouls, plus the other 4-5 he committed without a whistle. The refs officiate him like he’s a likable LeBron.
Jason Terry: Of the eight then-active NBA players involved in The Great Ainge Robbery of 2013 — aka the deal with the Nets that led to Tatum and Jaylen Brown becoming Celtics (and in a way, Kyrie Irving too) — only two players remain in the league. MarShon Brooks, who got a seven-game cameo with the Grizzlies this year after three years out of the league, and Terry. This is unexpected given that Terry, who had 3 points Sunday, looked washed up in his one year with the Celtics. I wonder if he still has that Celtics tattoo.
Joe Prunty: That’s the name of the Bucks coach, supposedly. I’m convinced he’s being portrayed by Martin Short.
