Skip to main content
Inside The Celtics

Celtics-Bucks Player Grades: Tatum, Brown, Queta Combine to Knock Bucks Out Early

Tatum just missed another triple-double, and the rest of the game was pretty easy from start to finish
John Karalis|
Apr 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives for the basket between Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) and forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives for the basket between Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) and forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

In this story:

Boston Celtics
  1. Game Flow
  2. Reasons They Won
  3. The Ball Movement Was Amazing
  4. Neemias Queta Was In All The Right Places
  5. Jayson Tatum Is A Robot
  6. Payton Pritchard Caught Fire
  7. Player Grades

The Celtics walked into Milwaukee, slapped the Bucks around for 48 minutes, and left. Jayson Tatum fell an assist shy of another triple-double, Jaylen Brown danced his way through the Milwaukee defense, and the Celtics cruised to a 133-101 win. 

Box Score

Game Flow

The Celtics stormed out to a 22-6 lead, fueled by Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and good overall ball movement. Boston put up 43 first-quarter points and assisted on 12 of their 15 baskets. Neemias Queta was the beneficiary, scoring 13 while also grabbing five boards and blocking three shots, and the Celtics took a 17-point lead into the second quarter. 

Payton Pritchard carried the offense in a much more evenly played second quarter. Jaylen Brown got into the fun a little later and Tatum continued slinging dimes as the lead grew to 20 at halftime. Pritchard and Brown combined for 21 of Boston’s 29 second-quarter points. It could have been more but Milwaukee blocked four shots in the quarter. 

The Celtics opened the third quarter on a 15-4 run to go up 31. Tatum and Brown did their thing again, combining for 22 of Boston’s 30, adding nine to the lead and never looking back. 

Reasons They Won

The Ball Movement Was Amazing

The first-quarter was especially beautiful basketball as Boston put up another monster opener with 43 points. Both Tatum and Brown were looking for open teammates, which was often Queta. It was also often Sam Hauser, who was a perfect 3-3 in the opener. The Celtics offense has been really clicking lately. 

Neemias Queta Was In All The Right Places

His chemistry with Tatum is already incredible. The timing on pick-and-rolls is on point, Tatum is seeing the floor as well as he ever has, and Queta is just in the right spots and the right time. 

It’s not just these kinds of plays, either. He’s grabbing rebounds, he’s blocking shots … he’s just everywhere he needs to be every night. 

Jayson Tatum Is A Robot

Another night, another complete lack of analysis other than a shrug when it comes to Tatum. He’s not supposed to be this good this fast. The way he’s seeing the floor, making passes off the dribble, attacking the rim … it’s all just mind-boggling. It’s amazing to watch, but I’m just grabbing my popcorn and enjoying the show at this point. 

We have left reality behind. Tatum is operating on his own plane of existence. All we can do is enjoy it

Payton Pritchard Caught Fire

Somehow the 16 points doesn’t feel like the right total for how he looked on the floor. He shot 7-12 from the field, hitting a bunch of tough shots … again … by getting into the trees, creating some space, and drilling fadeaways. 

Player Grades

Jayson Tatum: A+ (23 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals)

How about this pass?

I wish Brown was aware of it because that would have been an all-time highlight. It was still really good, but it could have been on a forever highlight reel. 

Tatum’s defense might be more impressive than his offense because that's where guys tend to rest when they're rehabbing. Tatum isn’t doing that. 

Jaylen Brown: A+ (26 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists)

His drives look like choreography sometimes. He has defenders going every which way and he’s just bouncing one way and the other, spinning, reverse pivoting, doing the cha cha, the electric slide (my knowledge of dances doesn’t go beyond the 1980s) … it’s amazing to watch sometimes. 

Neemias Queta: A (19 points 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks)

Why isn’t there a big campaign to get him the Most Improved Player award? His timing and his understanding of the game have grown so much during this season, I can’t imagine anyone getting this much better over the past year. 

Sam Hauser: A (13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

Very similar to the Miami game where he started hot and then was more of a spacer with his gravity. It’s just good for him to be finding his touch now, though. Finding his way now that Tatum is back is a big deal. He can make games so much easier because he’s a game-breaker. 

Payton Pritchard: A (16 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists)

I don’t know of a tougher guard in the league. He lives among the trees. I swear when he puts his shoulder into a defender’s chest, he’s briefly sapping their power so he can get his shot off. 

Derrick White: A (17 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists)

What a quietly great night for White. Part of that is because nine of his points came in the fourth with the game already decided and Tatum and Brown sitting on the bench. He’s another guy finding his jumper at the right time (5-9 3pt tonight). 

Baylor Scheierman: B (2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal)

Solid night in nearly 23 minutes. 

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
John Karalis
JOHN KARALIS

John Karalis is a 20-year veteran of Celtics coverage and was nominated for NSMA's Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016 and has written two books about the Celtics. John was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI. He graduated from Shea High School in Pawtucket, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams. John graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was a member of their Gold Key Honor Society. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team, and remains one of the school's top all-time scorers, and Emerson's all-time leading rebounder. He is also the first Emerson College player to play professional basketball (Greece). John started his career in television, producing and creating shows since 1997. He spent nine years at WBZ, launching two different news and lifestyle shows before ascending to Executive Producer and Managing Editor. He then went to New York, where he was a producer and reporter until 2018. John is one of Boston’s original Celtics bloggers, creating RedsArmy.com in 2006. In 2018, John joined the Celtics beat full-time for MassLive.com and then went to Boston Sports Journal in 2021, where he covered the Celtics for five years. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016, and it currently ranks as the #1 Boston Celtics podcast on iTunes and Spotify rankings. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Locked on NBA podcast.

Share on XFollow John_Karalis