Brown led Boston with 13 points and six assists while White had 11 and Smart 10. Those three teams are lined up to be the Nos. While finishing second in the East would bring home-court advantage in the second round, there's also a good chance it will bring a first-round matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. His outside shooting, movement without the basketball and ability to play multiple positions have all proven valuable for the C's. So I figured out how I can manage to get back out with the guys. 2022 Playoffs: East Semifinal | Celtics (2) vs. 10:15 pm ET, at But Antetokounmpo seemed a little lonely and overworked in Game 6. Heading into the final weekend of the NBA's regular season, here's what we now about the playoff and play-in races: All 20 teams are set, as are the first 12 playoff teams and the eight play-in teams. Yes, defense perhaps played a role in that, but open looks were made (by Boston) and missed (by . The NBA will have a pair of them Sunday, with Celtics and Bucks deciding the Miami Heats dance partner for the East finals before Phoenix and Dallas hash things out to see which faces Golden State in the West. pic.twitter.com/WJPCr35AEx, The end of game reaction from the @DeerDistrict!! The 35-year-old guard returned to action March 14, and Hill spoke about the injury for the first time at shootaround Thursday morning. at In order to keep the No. The Celtics split their season with the Sixers (2-2) as the two also remain in contention for the Atlantic Division title with Boston holding a slim 0.5 game edge at this point. But it all goes back to whether or not teams want the two-seed. 3 Celtics and No. ET. ET, ESPN), Philadelphia 76ers (46-29), 1.5 games back. April 7, 2022 / 8:27 AM The Celtics potentially deciding between the No. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. The Celtics shot 46.5%, the Bucks 16.7%. Die trying: Celtics three-point shooting hits season low against Knicks, Ice cold in New York: Takeaways from Celtics-Knicks. This team always seems to be battling injuries, and we have no idea when Zion Williamson will return. Bucks rally late in Antetokounmpo's return for 117-113 win Rockets, at Knicks. Please enter valid email address to continue. 3 in the standings -- or No. But if youre a fan of another Western Conference team, do you really want your squad responsible for trying to knock out Steph, Klay, and Draymond Green? For Denver to pass the Jazz, it needs to win its final game (vs. Lakers ) and have the Jazz lose their final two (vs. Phoenix and at Portland). From that point on, they scored just six points and shot 2-for-8 from the field. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. vibes) method gave theNetsthe second-best chance at winning it all this season, while theSunsin the middle of a downturncame in at ninth. Below are five big questions that will be answered in the coming days. Will any of the top four teams try to avoid a first-round matchup with Brooklyn? Most importantly, Giannis is an MVP-caliber player who can take his game to a place very few are capable of doing in the postseason. We still havent seen Kevin Durant on the floor, but I have theSunsfourth here. The C's didn't have four of their top-six scorers -- Jayson Tatum (non-Covid illness), Jaylen Brown (facial fracture), Al Horford (knee soreness) and Marcus Smart (ankle sprain). The ball went in bounds to Smart, who saw a brief opening and tried to go right to the basket. Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Shaquille ONeal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to do this in a playoff game: 40 PTS 20 REB 5 AST pic.twitter.com/4BeNV8yzU6. The Milwaukee Bucks (22-10) and Boston Celtics (23-10) meet Sunday at TD Garden.Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. Under those conditions, the Celtics will finish with a 20-13 record, the Bucks with a 17-15 record, and so the Celtics clinch the tiebreaker. Boston has two games remaining -- Thursday in Milwaukee and Sunday in Memphis -- while the Bucks (vs. Celtics, at Detroit, at Cleveland) and 76ers (at Toronto, vs. Indiana, vs. Detroit) each have three. 1 team until the conference finals. That would set up the possibility of a C's-Bulls first-round matchup if Boston loses to Milwaukee on Thursday. The Bucks used a 14-3 run in the middle of the first quarter to take a 27-20 lead with 4:05 to go, a margin they would take into the second quarter with a 36-29 lead. CLUTCH HAUSER HITS THE 3 pic.twitter.com/m51ELo5Yvp. Williams missed his 3rd consecutive game with an injured left knee as Boston kept its season alive Friday night in Milwaukee. newsletter. In the regular season and even in Milwaukees first-round series against Chicago, guard Grayson Allen was a helpful, pesky kind of player. Boston clinched home court advantage in this second round series when the Celtics won in Memphis with a full complement of players whereas the Bucks sat most of their rotation players on the final day of the regular season. I spoke to a specialist; youre going to have pain playing with it no matter what," Hill said. I dont see how the Mavs put together a championship-caliber group around those two this year, even with a healthy Maxi Kleber. The Celtics own that tiebreaker. What should be more important to the Celtics in the East playoff race? Next, a pass from Smart for a turnaround jumper, followed a couple possessions later by another 3-pointer over Milwaukees Pat Connaughton. The Celtics are up to 4th place in the East and suddenly in position to compete for the conferences top seed. Its unstoppable.) He played nearly 43 minutes and logged a plus-21. The result of that game not only clinched the season series (and thus the head-to-head tiebreaker) for the Bucks over the Sixers, it also moved Milwaukee to second in the East and Philly to fourth. All Rights Reserved. Historically, thats been a near-impossible task when all three are healthy. Muscala also put the ball on the floor and threw down a dunk early in the third quarter. Sign up for the Massive mural by Milwaukee artist Mauricio Ramirez measures 53 1/2 feet tall x 56 1/2 feet wide, taking up the side of a 3-story building. Celtics takeaways: White shines again as shorthanded C's lose to Bucks in OT, won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, acquired by the Celtics at the trade deadline. But while the Bucks deserve a ton of credit for making plays, Boston certainly helped them out with a disappointing offensive approach down the stretch. Teammate Marcus Smart, burned on a pair of pivotal plays in Game 5, claimed he didnt sleep between the two games. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Milwaukees best offense in the series has come in transition. The Nuggets have a comfortable lead atop the Western Conference and appear poised to break through with their two-man core of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. With a race this fluid that is changing on a nightly basis, there are many questions that come into play: Which team has the toughest (or easiest) schedule the rest of the way? He's someone who deserves a meaningful role even when the team is at full strength. His closet competitor was LeBron James, who won't be eligible now that he's set to sit the Lakers' final two games (you have to play at least 58 games to be eligible for the scoring title, and LeBron has only played 56). But finishing third would take away home court for the second round, unless the Nets upset the Bucks, and finishing fourth would likely set up a second-round matchup with the Heat. Milwaukee's win streak is now up to 11 games. Toggle navigation. If the Celtics finish with the No. @PicknSaveStores Photo of the Night pic.twitter.com/B4gn9HmX0H, AL HORFORD OUT OF NOWHERE pic.twitter.com/KUyuzYpU98, giannis with a three off the offensive rebound. ET, ESPN). Bobby Portis was just 1 of the many heroes who step up for Milwaukee down the stretch as it rallies from 14 down in the 4th. Celtics have the tiebreaker over 76ers, so things are trending toward #Bulls vs. Boston in playoffs. The Celtics led by 12 points at one point in the third quarter, but the Bucks made a huge run and hit several clutch shots late in the fourth quarter to take a 116-113 lead with 7.4 seconds remaining. Both would also be divisional champions in a scenario where the teams tie, so it's on to Eastern Conference win percentage. The Bucks were misfiring all night form deep: 2-of-7 in the first, 1-of-9 in the second, 1-of-4 in the third. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. The Bucks outscored the Celtics 58-34 in the paint. After practice on Tuesday, head coach Ime Udoka said, were a basketball team, not a track team. Griffin gave a solid all-around effort versus the Bucks with 15 points, six assists, six rebounds, one steal, one block and two charges drawn in 24 minutes of action. Milwaukee Bucks (62-20) Boston Celtics (59-23) Philadelphia 76ers (55-27) Beating the Celtics was a huge boost, and Cleveland represents a winnable challenge. This game also plays a big role in deciding a potential tiebreaker between these two teams, as Boston has a 2-1 lead in the season series over Milwaukee. The same rule cancels out Kevin Durant, who will finish with 55 games played assuming he is active in Brooklyn's final two games. Without Tatum, Brown shot it 20 times and made just eight (40%) to score 22 points. Theres only one problem with that: The road team has won four of the six games so far. The Nets and Cavs play Friday night with the Nets one game back in the standings, and if Brooklyn wins that game, it will also secure the season tiebreaker over Cleveland via a 3-1 head-to-head advantage. 1 seed. 131. The two-seed is there for the Celtics -- if they want it. The Bucks are 33-18and Boston is 33-19at the moment. Here's a look at their shots in the final five minutes: The Celtics turned things around this season -- and have had the most success this series -- when they started moving the ball, getting into the teeth of the defense and putting teams in rotation. pic.twitter.com/nicRRPGuEF, Bruised. And there is still much to be decided. Then Antetokounmpo drained a 3-pointer from 28 feet to make it 85-81 and it was on. Central division champion Milwaukee would thus only be competing in a head-to-head tiebreaker with Boston, and the two-team tiebreaker againstthe Celtics (laid out below) thus applies. Boston has two games remaining -- Thursday in Milwaukee and Sunday in Memphis . 1 seed out of the play-in tournament if they win the 9-10 matchup and beat the loser of the 7-8 matchup. While the Bucks have not clinched the Central Division, they do hold a commanding 3.5-game lead over Chicago, in case that tiebreaker is needed at the end of the season. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Despite a recent surge from Milwaukee and the continued steady play of theNuggetsout West, its Cleveland who is firmly second in net rating behind only theCeltics. Again, all of this is moot if the Bucks just win their final two. Even more impressive, Holiday recovered the loose ball and threw it off Smart. 2 seed, and let the chips fall where they may in the play-in tournament. 1 min read. The wing depth is actually solid, and Deandre Ayton has had great playoff moments in the past. After Antetokounmpo picked up his fourth foul with nearly 20 minutes left in the game, the Celtics got wrapped up in trying to force his fifth and, hey, maybe his sixth. In earning their 50th win of the season Wednesday, the Celtics took a half-game lead over the Bucks for second place in the East. The Celtics' loss has trimmed their lead over the Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference to just a half game. The Celtics MVP candidate was tossed amidst his third rough shooting night in a row. In some cases, the next tiebreaker would be division winning percentage, but that only applies if the teams are in the same division, so the Bucks' 11-3 advantage over the 9-7 Celtics doesn't . Now that you've had a chance to breathe. Smart and Theis combined for 29 of the Celtics 38 points in the quarter. ET TV: ESPN Celtics v There was chatter after Game 6 focused on the end of the regular season, when Boston closed out with a victory over Memphis while Milwaukee went belly-up at Cleveland. In case of a three-way tie between Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia, which remains a possibility, the tiebreaker criteria is to recognize division winners first, which would remove Philadelphia from the equation as Boston would win the Atlantic division via a better division record. Boston shooters seek him out as a defender to exploit (at least until George Hill comes into the game). Holiday also had 29 points and handed out eight assists while Middleton scored 22 points and had nine assists. Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds, picks, prediction, bets, Bulls vs. Pistons odds, picks, prediction, bets, Knicks vs. Nets odds, picks, prediction, bets, Hawks have a Trae Young problem, Quin Snyder must fix, Nikola Jokic becomes 6th player with 100 triple-doubles, Bucks get 15th straight win, complete perfect February. Wish it could stay there. 9 Charlotte (Hornets hold tiebreaker) and a 1.5 game lead on No. Memphis Grizzlies. Tiebreaker vs. Celtics: Have the tiebreaker 2-1 over the Celtics. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Eastern Conference Playoff Teams. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Tuesday night's 10 game slate. 9:35 pm ET, at If the Bucks. That was in the back of our minds, Game 5, Tatum said after scoring 46 points with nine rebounds and four assists. Both teams may have reason to. The Celtics led by 12 points at one point in the third quarter, but the Bucks made a huge run and hit several clutch shots late in the fourth quarter to take a 116-113 lead with 7.4 seconds remaining. Get out of D-White's way this man is on a MISSION pic.twitter.com/SjbxwvZcnu. Los Angeles Clippers. Theis grabbed his head in disbelief and Antetokounmpo was fouled the other way, making one of two free throws for a 125-121 lead with 39 seconds left. 2 or No. Early in the frame, as the Celtics were threatening to pull away, the Bucks knocked down three 3-pointers in a two-minute span to stay attached. Boston got big offensive performances from its three best players, with Tatum, Smart (21) and Brown (22) combining for 89 points. Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are all listed as doubtful Sunday. On Tuesday, we laid out how the Boston Celtics' Eastern Conference competitors could do them a solid in their quest for an ideal NBA playoff draw. Odds & lines subject to change. Long story short: The Bucks' will sew up the No. Giannis Antetokounmpo was fantastic for Milwaukee all night long finishing the win with a game-high 40 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three assists while Jrue Holiday made a number of clutch plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch on his way to a 24-point, eight-rebound and eight-assist performance. Somehow, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown collided and neither were able to grab the rebound, which popped right to Bobby Portis for the game-winning layup. . Here are the order of the tiebreakers and how they would play out. Let's first assume Embiid actually plays in Philadelphia's final two games (which isn't a given). However, when it comes to strength of schedule, Philadelphia has the easiest schedule remaining as their opponents have a .404 combined win percentage. 1 seed and, as a result, likely play only one of the Bucks or Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs. The Celtics have a somewhat built-in excuse to punt the game, given it's the second leg of a back-to-back. No one wants defenders to be treated like bowling pins, but when they go hunting for charges, some of the games biggest stars like Antetokounmpo and Tatum are put at crazy risk. Injuries in the frontcourt have opened up an opportunity for Griffin to make a stronger impact over the last couple games, and he's taking full advantage of it. Preview capsule for the Boston-Milwaukee Eastern Conference semifinal series that starts Sunday: No. They currently sit in fourth place behind the other three contenders, they do not own a single head-to-head tiebreaker (2-2 vs Miami, 2-2 vs. Boston, 1-2 vs. Milwaukee) and are not in a good position for any further tiebreakers as their .600 win percentage vs. the East is fourth among the top four teams and they are the only team not leading a division entering Wednesday. 9:26 pm ET, at 9:20 pm ET, Jayson Tatum turnaround mid-range jumper: make, Jayson Tatum fadeaway mid-range jumper: miss, Jaylen Brown pull-up mid-range jumper: miss. 9:31 pm ET, at 76ers (51-31) On the court against the Celtics, the Bucks were able to take advantage of the schedule with the victory, as the Celtics elected to sit all-star forward Jayson Tatum (right knee) and center Al Horford (back) after each played about 30 minutes on Wednesday night in Chicago. 9:22 pm ET, at Those kind of plays are exactly why the Bucks traded for Holiday prior to last season. ) and Boston Celtics ( 23-10 ) meet Sunday at TD Garden.Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m is scheduled 5... 4Th place in the paint Conference semifinal series that starts Sunday: No and we have No idea when Williamson. 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