Joe Mazzulla cut the question off. Before Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, a question that described the Celtics’ double-digit game lead atop the Eastern Conference as “comfortable.”
“No such thing as comfortable in the NBA,” Mazzulla interrupted.
Then, the on-court version of that played out.
The Celtics may have gotten, in fact, too comfortable on Wednesday night. They built an 18-point lead entering the fourth, and had a lead as large as 21 over the Bucks, who didn’t have Giannis Antetekounmpo. The Celtics, though they have boasted a consistent mindset all season, seemed to believe they could coast to the finish line. But these Bucks, even after their inconsistencies this season, have proven more formidable recently.
Without Antetokounmpo on the floor, it looked like the Celtics had missed a chance to extract some lessons for a potential playoff matchup. But even so, the Celtics ultimately gathered a valuable test of adversity. Their comfortable lead was suddenly cut to one possession in the final minutes, but the Celtics held on for a 122-119 win over the Bucks.
“We obviously know 18 going into the fourth quarter, you can’t possibly think that it’s not going to be a close game, but it was good to be in one of those games,” Mazzulla said. “We hadn’t been in one in a little while there, and just a good learning experience.”
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and Derrick White added 23 points as the Celtics survived for their seventh consecutive win, and pushed their lead atop the Eastern Conference to 11 games with 15 to go. Behind a huge bench performance from Payton Pritchard and methodical play, the C’s were in control for most of the night before their offense suddenly went missing in the fourth quarter.
And suddenly, they had to hold on for a push from Damian Lillard, Bobby Portis and the Bucks. Portis scored eight consecutive points – sandwiched around two free throw misses from Jaylen Brown – to cut the Celtics’ lead to three with 2:56 to play, creating some nail biting moments in TD Garden. But the Celtics responded with poise, a 6-2 run finished by a Kristaps Porzingis putback to reclaim control.
Lillard replied with a step-back 3-pointer before Portis’ floater cut it back to two with 33 seconds left. But Brown was fouled on the ensuing play and he grabbed some redemption, drilling both of his free throws to ultimately put the win on ice.
Pritchard was responsible for giving the Celtics a big early spark that helped them gain control, and it was inspired by a flight.
Bucks guard – and notorious agitator – Patrick Beverley appeared to give the “too small” gesture to Pritchard on a few plays early in the second quarter. Prtichard admitted he took it personally and it lit a fuse under him.
The Celtics had a five-point lead before Pritchard took complete control with the second unit. He scored or assisted on 15 consecutive points for the Celtics and 18 of 21 points, a stretch that included an impressive step-back jumper. On one play, he also flew in for an offensive rebound over Brook Lopez and drew a foul on the Bucks big man, which generated a standing ovation from the Garden crowd.
“Just a winning play,” Pritchard said. “He’s a 7-footer and I’m 6-foot – little in NBA standards. I don’t know. Just a competitor.”
The Celtics took an 18-point lead during that stretch and took a commanding halftime lead before Lillard made a couple of 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the third quarter that cut Milwaukee’s deficit to five. But the C’s responded accordingly, using strong defense throughout the third quarter to restore their lead back to 28 entering the fourth.
But the C’s ran into problems in the final period. They scored just nine points over nearly 10 minutes of play as the Bucks flummoxed them with a zone defense. It slowed the game down, created stops for the Bucks’ defense and the visitors took advantage as they roared back behind some hot shooting from Portis.
The Celtics found the answer though. Tatum, who hadn’t scored a point yet in the second half, made aggressive drives to the hoop that produced two free throws and then a layup. Despite a great shot from Milwaukee, they held on in the final moments.
“Last year I feel like this type of game could have slipped away at the end but we regrouped and finished it,” Pritchard said.
Though it was a good learning experience, Mazzulla didn’t take much from this game for a potential playoff series in May. The Bucks didn’t have Antetokounmpo, and the Celtics were missing Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser.
“I don’t want to overthink,” Mazzulla said. “Nothing is guaranteed in life. We may see them, they may see us, we may not. You never know what’s going to happen. I know both teams are developing an identity, there’s obviously a DNA there that both teams have, but you don’t want to overthink things, and you don’t take anything for granted.”
