How to Watch Celtics at Bucks on Thursday Night
All the talk in the Eastern Conference this season has been centered around the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat, but the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are two very underappreciated teams that could very well face off against one another in the Eastern Conference Finals this season.
Hunting for win No. 50 on the season, the Bucks come into Thursday night struggling as of late, but getting a ton of production from their offense.
Their three-headed monster in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday is very hard to stop and all year long, the Bucks have been one of the better offensive teams in the league.
This battle between the Celtics and Bucks on Thursday night will be a true fight between one of the league’s best offenses and one of the league’s best defenses, as Boston has turned things around this season because of the success they have found on the defensive-end of the floor.
Starting the year 25-25, the Boston Celtics looked like they were destined for disappointment and a trip to the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Celtics have gone 25-5 and now rank first in the league in plenty of defensive metrics.
With two All-Star-level scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have proven that they can play against the best in the league, setting this matchup with the Bucks to be “must-see-TV!”
Here's how to watch Wednesday’s game, with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Celtics vs. Bucks
- WHO: Boston Celtics (50-30) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (49-30)
- WHEN: 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, April 7
- WHERE: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- TV: TNT
Key Stats & Facts For Celtics vs. Bucks
- The Celtics rank first in the league in defensive rating and have only surrendered an average of 106.2 points per game over their last 20 games.
- Milwaukee currently ranks third in the league in scoring (115.2 PPG), led by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 29.9 points per game.
- Boston is 13-2 in their last 15 road games.
- The Bucks are 26-14 at home this season.
- Milwaukee has lost four of their last six regular season meetings against Boston.
Last Matchup:
December 25, 2021 - Celtics 113, Bucks 117
After leading by as many as 19 points at one point, the Boston Celtics fell apart against the Milwaukee Bucks, getting outscored 70-51 in the second-half. Outscoring the Celtics 56-28 in the paint, the Bucks took advantage of their height and strength. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 36 points in this matchup, 22 of which came inside the paint.
Celtics-Bucks Most Recent Games:
- Celtics last game: Defeating the Bulls 117-94 on Wednesday, the Celtics pulled a half-a-game ahead of the Bucks and 76ers for the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference and just two full games behind the 1-seeded Miami Heat. Defense got things done again for Boston, as they held the Bucks to just 43.8% shooting from the floor and 30.4% from three-point range.
- Bucks last game: Taking down the Bulls 127-106 on Tuesday in Chicago, the Bucks picked up their third consecutive road win. While he only finished the game with 18 points, Giannis Antetetokounmpo also had 9 rebounds and 7 assists, proving that he is more than just a scoring machine. Getting to the free-throw line 25 times, Milwaukee controlled the pace of play and punished a small Bulls rotation with their size.
Latest Injury News:
Celtics: Jayson Tatum (knee) - OUT, Al Horford (back) - OUT, Robert Williams III (knee) - OUT, Nik Stauskas (ankle) - OUT, Juwan Morgan (health and safety protocols) - OUT, Marcus Smart (ankle) - PROBABLE, Jaylen Brown (knee) - PROBABLE
Bucks: Grayson Allen (hip) - DOUBTFUL, Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) - PROBABLE
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED CELTICS STARTERS:
- G Marcus Smart (P), 6-3 guard: 12.0 points, 5.9 assists
- G Derrick White, 6-4 guard: 13.2 points, 4.9 assists
- G/F Jaylen Brown (P), 6-6 guard/forward: 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists
- F Grant Williams, 6-6 forward: 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds
- C Daniel Theis, 6-8 center: 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds
PROJECTED BUCKS STARTERS:
- G Jrue Holiday, 6-foot-3 guard: 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists
- G Wesley Matthews, 6-4 guard: 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds
- F Khris Middleton, 6-7 forward: 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists
- F Giannis Antetokounmpo (P), 6-11 forward: 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- C Brook Lopez, 7-0 center: 11.7 points, 3.8 rebounds
What to watch for:
- The Boston Celtics will move 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings with a win on Thursday night, whereas the Bucks will pull a half-a-game ahead of Boston and tentatively claim the 2-seed with a victory.
- The Bucks have lost two straight home games and three of their last six games overall.
- Jaylen Brown has averaged 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and has shot 55.7% from the floor, 50.0% from three-point range, over his last ten games.
- Milwaukee currently ranks second and Boston currently ranks fifth in the league in rebounding.
- Jayson Tatum currently ranks third in the league in total points scored this season (2,015); Giannis Antetokounmpo ranks sixth (1,943).
Related stories on FastBreak:
- How to Watch Spurs at Timberwolves on Thursday Night: The San Antonio Spurs have clinched their Play-In Tournament spot, but could possibly pull even for the 9-seed with a win, while Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves look to keep their slim hopes of moving up to the 6-seed in the Western Conference alive. CLICK HERE.
- Here's What Adam Silver Said At Wednesday's Board Of Governors Press Conference: On Wednesday afternoon, NBA commissioner Adam Silver talked to the media in regards to numerous topics pertaining to the league after the NBA’s recent Board of Governors meeting. CLICK HERE.
