Last night, Mazzulla’s Celtics faced the last coach to win an NBA title with the Celtics before Joe. The Celtics’ momentum was burning hot, while the Bucks are already on the verge of a crisis. After a close first half, the Celtics pulled away, beating a Bucks team still searching for its identity.
1. The unpleasant first 135 seconds
The opening of the game didn’t go as planned. The Celtics struggled to initiate their offense and gave up an open shot to the Bucks. After only 135 seconds, Joe Mazzulla, furious, called for an early timeout—channeling his inner Greg Popovich.
Right after the timeout, the Celtics lost the ball on the inbound, and Joe looked livid again…
2. Pick-and-roll defense
One of the most intriguing aspects of this game was the Celtics’ pick-and-roll defense. With Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez, the Bucks have several options to attack Boston.
Last season, the Bucks relied heavily on the Lillard-Lopez pick-and-roll, and they opened with it again last night. Initially, Al Horford was matched up with Lopez, leading to drop coverage, which opened up pull-up opportunities for Lillard—not ideal.
The Celtics quickly adjusted, putting Horford on his old friend Giannis, reigniting their familiar battle. This move allowed Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum to switch onto Lillard when Lopez set the screen. Since Giannis isn’t a shooting threat, Horford could stay closer to the action and provide help defense when needed.
The Bucks attempted to use Lopez’s deep post positioning against Boston, but it wasn’t enough to disrupt the Celtics’ defense.
3. Unusual free-throw volume for Celtics’ opponents
The Bucks posted a Free Throw Rate of 32.9%, according to CleaningTheGlass.com. This means one out of every three shot attempts resulted in a trip to the line—unusual for Celtics opponents.
Last season, Boston led the league in limiting opponent free-throw opportunities, holding them to an average Free Throw Rate of just 14.1%. Last night, the Bucks nearly doubled that.
How did this happen? Giannis, as usual, generated trips to the line with his ability to break down defenses with his length and speed. Fortunately for the league, he doesn’t convert well from there.
Damian Lillard, another key factor, can draw fouls on drives, pull-ups, and even while dribbling. Last night, he generated almost as many free throws as the entire Celtics team. You might argue he gets superstar calls, but he is a superstar. Even though the Bucks are underperforming, Lillard remains one of the best offensive players in the NBA.
4. Celtics are lucky the Heat didn’t get Lillard
This game also highlighted how dangerous Lillard would have been alongside Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and under Erik Spoelstra’s coaching. His pull-up shooting and driving ability make him tough for Boston, which prides itself on forcing opponents into difficult shots.
Lillard is one of the few offensive players who isn’t heavily impacted by the Celtics’ elite defense, as he can create good looks in tough situations. Luckily for us, he’s on a team that doesn’t know how to maximize what he still offers.
5. Has the double-big line-up disappeared?
We only saw a few minutes of the Celtics’ double-big lineup last night. Joe Mazzulla admitted he wasn’t pleased with the team’s defense in this configuration.
Joe Mazzulla discussed the defensive challenge of playing without Sam Hauser:
“Our defensive system is a little bit tricky when it comes to double-big units.” pic.twitter.com/hVe1sXUran
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) October 28, 2024
This may have been due to the matchup against Milwaukee, but it opens the door for more rotation opportunities—and more minutes for our beloved Jordan Walsh.
6. Jordan Walsh’s meaningful minutes
Against the Bucks, Jordan Walsh got his first meaningful minutes of the season, playing in the second quarter, late in the third, and early in the fourth. His physicality and defense stood out.
Walsh timed his switches well, used his length to disrupt the Bucks’ offense, and stayed in front of Lopez when switching off-ball. He also displayed great strength while guarding Giannis in the post.
Offensively, he was stagnant in the corner during his first stretch. However, in his second stint, he became more active, grabbing two offensive rebounds and converting one with a put-back. It’s encouraging to see Mazzulla trust him, and Walsh showed he earned that trust.
7. Payton Pritchard was so good, he had Doc Rivers on his knees
Late in the third quarter, the Bucks were at the line. With only a few seconds left on the clock, Pritchard was on the floor, ready to run, and we all knew what was coming. And it happened. Doc Rivers couldn’t believe it (and the guy behind him couldn’t stop laughing).
8. Jrue Holiday knows how to attack the Bucks’ defense
Jrue Holiday, who was the cornerstone of Milwaukee’s defense during their 2021 title run, knows Giannis and Lopez’s tendencies. This allowed him to recognize when to attack.
He was especially aggressive when Lopez was on Horford, repeatedly driving to exploit the Bucks’ lack of rim protection. If Horford was stationed in the corner, Jrue would drive, knowing Lopez would help, and he could kick the ball out to Horford for a three.
When Horford was positioned above the break, Holiday would again drive, understanding that the Bucks would have no rim protection.
9. Jaylen Brown’s hunting when needed
Early in the third quarter, the Celtics started hunting Lillard with Jaylen Brown, sparking an 11-3 run. Brown continues to improve at exploiting mismatches and punishing defenders.
In the fourth quarter, Mazzulla sent Brown hunting again, this time targeting Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr. With the Celtics’ excellent spacing, JB got great post-up positioning and can display is one of the league’s best one-on-one players.
10. The Bucks look lost without Brook Lopez
When Lopez went to the bench, the Bucks lost their defensive balance. They struggled to protect the rim, and Giannis alone couldn’t compensate for the lack of defensive support from the wings and backcourt. Lopez was excellent defensively, holding his own against the Jays and proving why he’s one of the best rim protectors in the NBA.
Offensively, the Bucks faltered without Lopez. Their offense became stagnant and lacked spacing. Bobby Portis, Lopez’s backup, relies on post-up plays, which were comically ineffective. Why Doc Rivers insists on this approach, which was bad last season too, remains a mystery.
Once again, it’s a great time to be a Celtics fan and a tough time to be a Bucks fan.
