Field Level Media
14 May 2022, 23:49 GMT+10
While the city of Milwaukee works through the aftermath of separate downtown shootings following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Bucks and Celtics, the series is expected to resume at Boston on Sunday for an emotional Game 7.
The Celtics will be on their home court for theseries finale, but the visiting Bucks will not be deterred. The visiting team has prevailed in four of the first six games of the 3-3 series, with the Bucks winning Games 1 and 5 in Boston.
The defending-champion Bucks have never trailed in the series, winning each time the best-of-seven matchup was tied, before losing every time in the meeting immediately after having taken a one-game advantage.
The last time the clubs met in Boston, it took a Bobby Portis putback off a Giannis Antetokounmpo missed free throw and a Jrue Holiday blocked shot to deliver the third-seeded Bucks a 110-107 victory in Game 5. Antetokounmpo had 40 points in the win.
The Milwaukee star poured in 44 points with 20 rebounds in a potential series-clincher on Friday, but was upstaged by Jayson Tatum's 46 points and the Celtics' more productive supporting cast, which included Jaylen Brown's 22 points and Marcus Smart's 21, in a 108-95 Boston road win.
Afterward, chaos unfolded in the streets near the arena in the downtown bar district. As of Saturday afternoon, 21 people were reported injured in three shootings near the Bucks' outdoor viewing party that drew more than 11,000 spectators Friday night. There were another 17,681 fans inside the arena.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the victims ranged in age from 15 to 47, and all were expected to survive. As of mid-day Saturday, Milwaukee police had arested 10 people, including some juveniles, and recovered nine guns.
As the series moves into the brightest of lights Sunday and the focus diverts to basketball, at least for the evening, all eyes will be on the Bucks' Antetokounmpo and the Celtics' Tatum.
"That's why he gets paid the big bucks," Smart said of Tatum, who was 7 of 15 on 3-pointers to account for nearly half his points. "That's it, right there, for moments like that. I was telling him the whole game, 'Just be you, man,' and he was."
The keys to success through six games are now well established.
The Bucks have shot 32.3 percent on 3-pointers in their wins, but just 25.7 percent in their losses. Jrue Holiday has defined the disparity, going 10 of 22 from deep in the wins, 5 of 22 in the losses.
"We have to find a way to get up more 3s and make more 3s," Holiday said after Game 6. "They switch everything, and they try to make you play one-on-one. That makes it a little tougher for 3s.
"I'm not saying that they're not there, but it just makes it tougher. So I think just moving the ball a little bit more, moving bodies, getting defensive stops, and then pushing in transition, that's usually how we get a bulk of our 3s."
The Bucks also have 52.0 rebounds per game in their victories to the Celtics' 43.7. In the loses, though, Milwaukee averaged only 44.7 rebounds. Portis and Brook Lopez have contributed 56 rebounds to the Bucks' wins, but just 40 to the defeats.
Antetokounmpo (35.3 points per game) has outplayed Tatum (28.3) over the course of the series, but the Celtics have gotten timely contributions from Brown, Smart and Al Horford, as well as sturdy defense from Grant Williams, to get the better of the play of the supporting casts.
The Bucks have the better recent history in Game 7s. They outlasted the Brooklyn Nets in seven games at this point last year en route to the title.
But when the clubs met in a Game 7 in the first round in 2018, the Celtics prevailed easily 112-96, with Antetokounmpo (22) and Tatum (20) playing on basically even terms. Horford played the role of the difference-maker in that one, hitting 13 of 17 shots on a 26-point night.
"I remember 2018, yes, 2018; we went to Boston in a Game 7. Didn't have the best game possible," Antetokounmpo said. "But you learn from it. You learn what the atmosphere is like when the ball gets heavy.
"We're going to be better. So for me: Just go out and play free. Be fearless. Play free. We don't owe nobody nothing."
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Milwaukee Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Milwaukee Sun.
More InformationDOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel's success in the war with Iran could open the door to...
NEW DELHI, India: India has decided not to allow a United Nations (UN) investigator to join the investigation into the recent Air India...
BONN, Germany: Despite widespread belt-tightening across the United Nations, nearly 200 countries agreed this week to increase the...
GOP leaders are determined to advance Trump's signature agenda. But the bill's complexity, internal party fractures and Democratic...
Scientists have widely agreed that the persistent rise in greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution is the primary driver...
BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week: 1. China's Wang Xinyu finishes runner-up...
Michael Hull Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be taking an in-depth look at the Bengals' 2025 opponents. The Bengals...
Teresa Varley With the 2025 season on the horizon, Steelers.com is bringing you Looking Back, where a game against each of our opponents...
That cant happen again Mike Spofford Jason from Ammon, ID I'll bite and AI verify. Scott is indeed a world record holder. Boy,...