How to Watch Celtics at Bucks Game 4 on Monday
While Games 1 and 2 of this Eastern Conference Semifinals series between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were won by double-digits, Game 3 turned out to be a very tight game that was decided by just a fraction of a second.
The Bucks led for a vast majority of Saturday’s game in Milwaukee, but Boston hung around until they turned things on late in the fourth quarter.
Down by 13 points entering the fourth, the Celtics continued to chisel into Milwaukee’s lead until they tied the game and then took the lead with under two minutes remaining.
The two teams continued to trade baskets until the Bucks scored four points in the final minute of the game and got a much-needed stop on defense. With 11.2 seconds left, the Celtics trailed by just three points and while the Bucks defended Boston’s final possession well, they fouled Marcus Smart on a three-point attempt.
Well, at least that is what it looked like initially, but the referees ruled the foul on the ground, resulting in two free-throws for Smart with 4.6 seconds on the clock. Making the first free-throw and then intentionally missing the second, Boston got the miss, missed the layup, got the miss again and then Al Horford made his offensive rebound layup to tie the game and force overtime.
Again, the referees gathered and they went to the monitor to see if Horford did in fact get the ball out of his hand in time and upon review, it was deemed that the veteran’s fingertips were still on the ball as time expired, resulting in a two-point Bucks victory.
"Drama" is the best word to describe Game 3 of this series, setting Game 4 up to be quite the act!
Giannis Antetokounmpo was fantastic on Saturday, as he recorded 42 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the Bucks’ slim 103-101 victory.
Now leading 2-1 in this series, Milwaukee has consolidated their road win in this series and can take a commanding 3-1 lead to pull within one win from the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday.
Will the Bucks hold firm at home or will the Celtics get a key road win to even this series before heading back to Boston for Game 5?
Here's how to watch Monday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Celtics vs. Bucks
- WHO: Boston Celtics (1-2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2-1)
- WHAT: NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals - Game 4 (Bucks lead 2-1)
- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, May 9
- WHERE: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- TV: TNT
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Celtics vs. Bucks
- The Bucks and Celtics faced off four times during the regular season with the two teams splitting the season series 2-2 and both teams winning two games on their home floor.
- The Celtics finished the regular season ranking second in defensive rating and first in points allowed per game (104.5), while the Bucks finished the regular season ranking third in offensive rating and third in points per game (115.5).
- Milwaukee is 30-15 at home this season and Boston is 25-19 on the road, including the postseason.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning Finals MVP, has been unstoppable lately, averaging 29.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and shooting 50.6% from the floor in the postseason.
What Happened In Game 3?
May 7, 2022 - Bucks 103, Celtics 101
As detailed above, this game truly came down to the final few seconds of the game and if Al Horford would have released his layup/tip-in just fractions of a second earlier than he did, then the Celtics may be looking at Game 4 being up 2-1. Nonetheless, the Bucks won Game 3 and they have Giannis Antetokounmpo to thank for that, as the two-time MVP went for 42 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the win. Jrue Holiday also made a big difference in this game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. Jayson Tatum struggled for Boston, shooting just 4-19 from the floor and he appeared to suffer some sort of wrist injury in the second quarter that did bother him the rest of the way.
Key Stats From Game 3:
- Boston went 9-33 (27.3%) and Milwaukee went 9-34 (26.5%) from three-point range in Game 3.
- The Bucks turned the ball over 12 times, resulting in 11 points for the Celtics. Boston turned the ball over 12 times that resulted in 11 points for Milwaukee.
- The Celtics recorded 23 assists on a total of 32 made shots (71.9%), whereas the Bucks recorded 20 assists on a total of 40 made shots (50.0%).
Latest Injury News:
Bucks: Khris Middleton (knee) - OUT
Celtics: Sam Hauser (shoulder) - OUT
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED BUCKS STARTERS:
- G Jrue Holiday, 6-3 guard: 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists
- G/F Wesley Matthews, 6-4 guard/forward: 5.1 points, 1.9 rebounds
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo, 6-11 forward: 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- F/C Bobby Portis, 6-10 forward/center: 14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds
- C Brook Lopez, 7-0 center: 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds
PROJECTED CELTICS STARTERS:
- G Marcus Smart, 6-3 guard: 12.1 points, 5.9 assists
- G/F Jaylen Brown, 6-6 guard/forward: 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists
- F Jayson Tatum, 6-8 forward: 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists
- F Al Horford, 6-9 forward: 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists
- C Robert Williams III, 6-8 center: 10.0 points, 9.6 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Bucks are currently 1-point favorites over the Celtics as of Monday morning, according to FanDuel.com.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 212 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Boston Celtics have made the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons now, but they have not advanced to the NBA Finals since 2010.
- The Milwaukee Bucks have made the playoffs six consecutive seasons now and are coming off winning the NBA Finals in 2021.
- Jayson Tatum has proven to be one of the best offensive weapons in the league this year, averaging 26.9 points per game this year (7th in the NBA).
- Milwaukee is 50-11 this season when they score at least 110 points. Boston is 45-15 this season when they hold their opponents to 110 points or less
- The Bucks and Celtics have played a total of 42 playoff games and seven playoff series all-time. Boston is 22-20 against Milwaukee in the playoffs all-time and are 5-2 against Milwaukee in playoff series.
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