The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Boston Celtics on March 20 (Wednesday) at the TD Garden. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Celtics winning the first one 119–116 in November and the Bucks winning the second one in January. The Celtics have won each of their last 22 home games. Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost each of their last 10 games as road underdogs following a win.
Preview
The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off a 140-129 win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence, the Bucks performed well. Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis Jr. led the team with 31 points each. The team is averaging 120.7 points on 49.1 percent shooting and allowing 117.3 points on 47.3 percent shooting. Giannis is averaging 30.8 points and 11.2 rebounds, while Damian Lillard is averaging 24.4 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are on a six-game winning streak. They defeated the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards and most recently, the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics will be playing a back-to-back second game after Saturday’s 119-94 win over the Pistons. Boston is averaging 121 points on 48.5 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.1 points and 8.3 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown is averaging 23.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. The Celtics are shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc and 81 percent from the free-throw line.
Starting lineup
The Bucks are expected to start with Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
While the Celtics will most likely start with Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown.
Also Read: Rankings of the Top 25 NBA Players by Tiers, March 2024
Prediction
The Bucks will likely be without Antetokounmpo in the upcoming contest as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. On the other hand, the Celtics have two players listed as questionable: Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. The Milwaukee Bucks have won seven of their last ten games and defeated the Celtics in their last meeting. The Celtics are heavy favorites to win the upcoming contest. However, the Bucks are expected to cross the point total of 224.
