Brown Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expected To Play Game 1
- Head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter links), that Celtics star Jaylen Brown is dealing with hamstring tightness and had it evaluated recently. Despite the injury, Brown is expected to play in Game 1 against Milwaukee on Sunday.
Poll: Boston Celtics Vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The first of the NBA’s four second-round matchups to be locked in is also one of the most intriguing. The Celtics, the No. 2 seed in the East, will face the No. 3 Bucks, with the series scheduled to tip off on Sunday night.
The Celtics were comfortably the NBA’s best team during the final two-and-a-half months of the 2021/22 regular season. After putting up a .500 record in their first 50 games, the C’s went 26-6 from January 29 onward — no other NBA team lost fewer than nine games during that stretch.
Boston’s advanced statistics backed up the team’s dominant record. The club led the league in both offensive rating (120.7) and defensive rating (105.9), resulting in an eye-popping 14.8 overall net rating. The next-best teams during that stretch were Memphis at +8.8 and Phoenix at +6.8.
The Celtics have carried that momentum into the postseason. With many experts forecasting the No. 7 Nets to pull off the upset, Boston became the only team to complete a first-round sweep. It was Jayson Tatum – not Kevin Durant – who looked like the best player in the series, averaging 29.5 PPG and 7.3 APG with a .456/.419/.868 shooting line, compared to Durant’s 26.3 PPG and 6.3 APG on .386/.333/.8985 shooting.
Tatum will face another serious challenge in round two, when he and the Celtics go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending-champion Bucks. The Bucks lost Khris Middleton to a knee injury in Game 2 of their series vs. Chicago, but somehow looked even better after that, making quick work of Chicago as Antetokounmpo led the way with 28.6 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 6.2 APG on 56.8% shooting.
Middleton isn’t expected to be back in the second round, which is a tough blow for the Bucks. But this is a deep, dangerous team even without the All-Star forward.
The Bucks have shown they’re capable of winning while shorthanded in the postseason, having gone 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals last year without Antetokounmpo before dominating the Bulls in three games without Middleton this year.
It’s Milwaukee, not Boston, that has posted the best defensive rating (94.4) and net rating (+13.8) of the postseason so far. But the Celtics will have home court advantage in the series, which could be a factor — the teams split their four regular season meetings, with each club winning two games at home.
Which team will advance to the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Celtics/Bucks!
Which team will win the series?
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Boston Celtics in 6-7 games 52% (920)
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Milwaukee Bucks in 6-7 games 33% (589)
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Boston Celtics in 4-5 games 11% (201)
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Milwaukee Bucks in 4-5 games 4% (73)
Total votes: 1,783
Khris Middleton Expected To Miss Second-Round Series
APRIL 28: Middleton is expected to miss the Bucks’ entire second-round series vs. Boston, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter). According to Charania, Middleton’s recovery timeline would also jeopardize his availability for at least the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, if Milwaukee makes it that far.
APRIL 27: The Bucks may have to get through a second-round series without Khris Middleton, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in an appearance on “NBA Today” (video link).
Middleton, who suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee during Game 2 of Milwaukee’s playoff series with the Bulls, is scheduled to be reevaluated next week, roughly 14 days after the injury. However, sources tell Wojnarowski that the exam is likely to just be a “benchmark,” and there’s no expectation that Middleton will return to action right away.
“There’s not a sense that he’s going to get reevaluated at two weeks and then all of a sudden be back at practice and be ready to play,” Wojnarowski said. “That’s a benchmark in this process. But the Bucks certainly, they’re on the cusp of getting by the Bulls here. They may have to get through another series, a conference semifinal, before they may have the opportunity to get Khris Middleton back in this season.”
Middleton played a huge role in helping the Bucks capture the NBA title last season, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists during the playoffs. He followed that up by being selected to the All-Star game this year for the third time in his career.
Middleton recently told Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he’s optimistic about returning soon, but he has confidence in his teammates if the recovery process takes longer.
“We did it last year as a group,” Middleton said. “When Giannis (Antetokounmpo) went down (in the Eastern Conference Finals) everybody stepped up and played a major part, so I expect nothing less. I feel like guys are ready to step up and play. They know right now it’s win or go home time.”
Grant Williams Played Important Role Against Nets
- Grant Williams had an under-the-radar role in helping the Celtics sweep the Nets, according to Nekias Duncan of Basketball News. Williams took advantage of Brooklyn’s focus on Boston’s stars to average 11.3 points per game while shooting 50% from beyond the arc. He was also part of the group of defenders who held Kevin Durant in check.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Harden, J. Brown, T. Young, Knicks
After winning the first three games of their series vs. the Raptors, the Sixers have now dropped two consecutive close-out opportunities and will head back to Toronto clinging to a 3-2 lead. Star center Joel Embiid, who tore a ligament in his right thumb in Game 3, said after Monday’s loss that he wants to make an effort going forward not to favor that injury quite so much.
“I’m in a situation where I try to protect it,” Embiid said (Twitter link via Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “Before I even attack or if I get the ball, it’s almost like I’m not playing freely where I’m like, ‘Well, if I do this, I might get hit or I might get hurt.'”
Embiid also told reporters on Monday night that his All-Star teammate James Harden, who attempted just 11 shots from the field and had 15 points in Game 5, needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays.
“I’ve been saying all season since he got here, he needs to be aggressive and he needs to be himself,” Embiid said. “That’s not really my job. That’s probably on Coach (Doc Rivers) to talk to him and tell him to take more shots, especially if they’re going to guard me the way they’ve been guarding. But that’s really not my job.”
No team in NBA history has blown a 3-0 series lead. If they can get a home victory on Thursday, the Raptors would be just the fourth team (of 145) to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0, which would put a ton of pressure on the 76ers to close out the series on Saturday at home.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Celtics wing Jaylen Brown earned another one of his contract bonuses on Monday due to the team’s first-round series victory. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter), advancing to the second round assured Brown of an extra $482,143 this season.
- The Raptors‘ decision to give up a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young at February’s trade deadline may look short-sighted if he leaves in free agency this summer, but he has provided intangible value to the team through his veteran leadership and understanding of the game, says Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Additionally, since the Raptors acquired a second-rounder from San Antonio in the Young deal, they only ended up moving down 13 spots in the draft, from No. 20 to No. 33.
- In his latest mailbag, Fred Katz of The Athletic addresses a series of offseason questions facing the Knicks, weighing in on Mitchell Robinson‘s upcoming free agency, whether Tyus Jones or Malcolm Brogdon make sense as offseason targets, and more.
Examining Celtics' Hopes To Bring All-Star Game Back To Boston
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe takes a look at the Celtics’ hopes to bring the All-Star Game back to Boston. The Celtics are preparing a bid, Washburn notes, as Boston hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1964. The team would likely look to host in 2025 or 2026.
Injury Notes: Doncic, Williams, Lowry, Capela
Playing Saturday for the first time in nearly two weeks, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic showed no ill effects from his strained left calf, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic logged 34 minutes, resting halfway through the first and third quarters. He posted 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and hit a late three-pointer to give Dallas a four-point lead before the Jazz rallied to win.
“I’m just excited to be back,” Doncic said. “I had fun out there, just having fun playing basketball. What could be better than in the playoffs? The playoffs are the most exciting, so I’m just glad to be back.”
Doncic admitted feeling winded during stretches of the game — MacMahon notes that Utah targeted him defensively, especially in the first half. However, Doncic said the calf didn’t slow him down.
“At the beginning, I was just thinking about it a little bit,” he said. “I think in the middle of the game I kind of forgot about it.”
There are more injury-related items to pass along:
- There was also good news for the Celtics tonight as center Robert Williams returned for the first time since a meniscus tear on March 27. Williams played 16 minutes and said his knee didn’t hurt after the game (video link from Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe).
- There’s “cautious optimism” from people close to Heat guard Kyle Lowry that the left hamstring injury he suffered Friday isn’t serious, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Lowry didn’t practice with the team today, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN, and was walking “gingerly.” A source close to Lowry tells McMenamin that the injury is day to day, but Lowry said he is monitoring it “hourly.” Miami’s injury report lists him as questionable for Game 4, which will take place Sunday night. Gabe Vincent or Tyler Herro would likely start at point guard if Lowry isn’t available, Chang states.
- The Hawks have upgraded center Clint Capela to questionable for Sunday’s game, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who adds that his status may be a game-time decision. Capela hasn’t played since suffering a hyperextended right knee in an April 15 play-in game.
Nets Notes: Simmons, Nash, Durant, Griffin
Ben Simmons is targeting Monday’s Game 4 to make his debut with the Nets, but coach Steve Nash isn’t committing to anything, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Simmons went through a full workout today, which Nash said went well, but he cautioned that it’s difficult to start playing at this point of the season.
“I think it’s possible, but I’m not sure,” Nash told reporters before tonight’s game. “Like I said before, it’s not a normal return to play, having been off for nine months and being injured as long as he has been at the back of this, going on two months now – I think if I’m not mistaken – or more, so it’s not just, he got through three workouts and he’s ready to play. There’s a lot of bigger picture, bigger context — how he’s feeling, how able he would be to adapt to the environment. It’s a little different than playing a game that’s in the middle of the regular season so I think there’s a few factors at play to evaluate when he’s ready to play.”
Simmons was just cleared for contact five days ago as he continues to make progress from the back ailment that has kept him out of action since Brooklyn acquired him in February. He hasn’t played since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals more than 10 months ago.
There’s more on the Nets:
- The Celtics‘ defensive approach has forced Kevin Durant into two of the worst playoff games of his career, observes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Amick talked to a pair of scouts who point out that Boston is being physical with Durant before he gets the ball and has guarded him with six different players so far. Durant is coming off a 4-for-17 performance in Game 2 and committed six turnovers in each of the first two games of the series.
- The Nets are in danger of letting another of Durant’s prime years slip away, warns Ian O’Connor of The New York Post. O’Connor notes that it’s not a sure thing that Durant and Kyrie Irving will both be healthy at playoff time ever again, so the Nets should have a sense of urgency to get back in the series.
- After missing the first two games of the series with a sprained left ankle, Blake Griffin was upgraded to available for Game 3, Lewis tweets. The veteran big man hasn’t played since April 2.
Robert Williams Cleared For Game 3
Injured Celtics center Robert Williams will return to action in Saturday’s Game 3 against the Nets, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Coach Ime Udoka said Williams will come off the bench and is expected to play in short spurts totaling 20 to 24 minutes.
Williams has been sidelined since having a surgical procedure in late March for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Boston was able to win the first two game of the series without Williams’ presence in the middle.
There have been reports over the past week or so that Williams was making progress and was targeting Game 3 or 4 for a possible return. His original recovery timeline was four to six weeks after suffering the injury on March 27 and undergoing surgery a few days later, so he’s coming back ahead of schedule.
The fourth-year center played an important role in the Celtics’ late-season rise up the standings to the No. 2 seed. He became a full-time starter this year and posted career-best numbers across the board with averages of 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 61 games.
Celtics Aren't Taking Risks With Williams' Return; Examining Defense Against Durant
- The Celtics aren’t taking any additional risks by playing Robert Williams III in Game 3, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. Williams has been recovering from torn meniscus surgery and last played on March 27. “If you’re going to be working him hard and putting him through contact in practice to get him ready, there’s no real additional risk to having him do it in a game for a few minutes here and there,” an NBA medical source told Bulpett. “You’re not putting a lot on his shoulders, and you could be helping his progress.”
- Sam Amick of The Athletic examines how the Celtics have defended Nets superstar Kevin Durant, who has shot just 13-of-41 through two games (32%). Boston has one of the best defensive groups in the league, making it harder for Durant to get to his spots, abuse matchups and score.