2 min read • April 07, 2022
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Check out this matchup's Court View here.
The Celtics - 65.8 Team Health Score - will face the Bucks on the back-end of a back-to-back following a blowout win over the Bulls Wednesday night.
Star forward Jayson Tatum will sit as he deals with right patella tendinopathy, leaving Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to handle a majority of the scoring duties.
Brown has scored 25-or-more points in each of his last 10 games, adding 5.9 rebounds while shooting 55.7% from the floor
Despite losing defensive centerpiece Robert Williams to a torn meniscus last week, Boston has rebounded after a two-game adjustment period, winning three straight games with dominant offensive performances, albeit against the Pacers, Wizards, and Bulls.
Veteran big man Al Horford has led the team in rebounding the last four games, but is out tonight with lower back soreness
Daniel Theis and Grant Williams will try to slow MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo down.
Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis have also been highly effective over the last few games.
The Bucks - 89.7 Team Health Score - face the Celtics in a key seeding matchup that will help decide who will have home court in the later rounds of the playoffs.
Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia are all tied for the No. 2 seed at 49-30, and the Bucks already won a dramatic contest against the 76ers last Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo is listed as probable with the sore right knee he has been nursing over the last month. The 28-year-old has missed three of the last nine games but only one since March 24 while averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 61.6% shooting over that stretch.
Antetokounmpo played only 24 minutes, his 3rd-lowest total of the season, in Milwaukee’s 21-point win over the Bulls on Tuesday as he dealt with foul trouble.
Lopez has quickly returned to form since returning from back surgery last month, scoring 28 points with 7 rebounds on 9-14 shooting Tuesday night. Bobby Portis has settled into his former bench role as well, averaging 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds over his last 3 games.
Potential Plays
Bucks -8.5 - Milwaukee has a sizeable health score advantage, while the Celtics have little hope of slowing Antetokounmpo down in the paint.
Lopez O11.5 points - he led the team in scoring Tuesday night and has surpassed this total in four of the last six games.
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