How to Watch Bucks at Celtics Game 1 on Sunday
The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to Boston on Sunday to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series, a matchup that will surely be exciting until the end.
In a clash of one of the league’s best offensive teams versus one of the league’s best defensive teams, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks will have their hands full with the Celtics, especially given that All-Star Khris Middleton is currently sidelined due to a sprained MCL.
Middleton’s presence on the floor for Milwaukee runs a lot deeper than just his 20.1 points per game average during the regular season and not only does his absence put more weight on the shoulders of Jrue Holiday, but it puts an enormous amount of pressure on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The two-time MVP has been the catalyst for the Bucks on both ends of the floor all season long and averaging 28.6 points per game during Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, Antetokounmpo is looking to bring his team back to the NBA Finals in attempts to defend their title.
On the other side of things, the Boston Celtics may just be the hottest team in the NBA right now and they have been on cruise control the last few months.
Since January 29, the Celtics have gone 29-6, including their first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have continued to carry the load offensively for this team and with this season’s Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart being their anchor defensively, Boston has made a very convincing argument during these playoffs that they are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
How will the championship hopefuls in the Celtics fare against the defending champions in the Bucks?
Here's how to watch Sunday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Bucks vs. Celtics
- WHO: Milwaukee Bucks (0-0) vs. Boston Celtics (0-0)
- WHAT: NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals - Game 1
- WHEN: 1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, May 1
- WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Bucks vs. Celtics
- 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 each game 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).
- Boston is 30-13 at home this season and Milwaukee is 26-17 on the road, including the postseason.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning Finals MVP, has been unstoppable dating back to the regular season, averaging 31.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and shooting 57.9% from the floor since March 1.
Last Matchup:
April 7, 2022 - Bucks 127, Celtics 121
In their final meeting of the regular season, Milwaukee defeated Boston 127-121 thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton combining for 80 points on 30-58 (51.7%) shooting. For Boston, Marcus Smart finished with a team-high 29 points and Jaylen Brown recorded his second career triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Jayson Tatum did not play in this game for the Celtics.
Bucks-Celtics Most Recent Playoff Series:
- Bucks last playoff series: The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls 4-1 in the first-round of the playoffs, outscoring Chicago by an average of 19.3 points in their four wins. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored at least 32 points in three of the five games played in this series and as a team, the Bucks shot 38% from deep against the Bulls, ranking them fourth in three-point shooting percentage out of all sixteen teams that played in a first-round playoff series.
- Celtics last playoff series: The Boston Celtics cruised past the Brooklyn Nets 4-0 in the first-round of the playoffs and they looked flawless defensively on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They held Brooklyn’s two superstars to a combined 47.6 points per game, down 9.7 points per game from their combined season average, and Jayson Tatum stepped up on the offensive-end of the floor, averaging 29.5 points per game in the series.
Latest Injury News:
Bucks: George Hill (abdominal) - OUT, Khris Middleton (knee) - OUT
Celtics: NONE
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 Celtics are currently 4.5-point favorites over the Bucks as of Sunday morning, according to FanDuel.com.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 217.5 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) and scoring at least 30 points in 8 of his last 14 games dating back to the regular season.
- Milwaukee is 50-11 this season when they score at least 110 points. Boston is 44-13 this season when they hold their opponents to 110 points or less
- The Bucks and Celtics have played a total of 39 playoff games and seven playoff series all-time. Boston is 21-18 against Milwaukee in the playoffs all-time and are 5-2 against Milwaukee in playoff series.
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