Celtics spoil return of Giannis, blowout Milwaukee Bucks on road

The Boston Celtics have continued their momentum since the All-Star break, and on Monday night, the second night of a back-to-back was even more impressive. Not only is this a home series with Boston beating the 76ers on Sunday before traveling to Milwaukee to face the Bucks, but they don’t have Jaylen Brown or Nemeans Queta on the roster. On the other hand, the Bucks welcomed the return of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes.

For much of the season, when the Celtics had to get contributions from other role players, there were multiple players who stepped up when needed. Six different Boston players scored in double figures, with Payton Pritchard scoring 25 points and Hugo Gonzalez and Derrick White each scoring 18 points.

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Here’s a quick recap of tonight’s win over the Bucks:

Final score: Boston Celtics 108, Milwaukee Bucks 81

Game points:

Everyone’s contribution: The aforementioned six players scoring in double figures showcase exactly what this Celtics team has been built on all year long and the mentality of any player at any given time. They shot 43% from the field and 40% from 3-point range, with only three players playing more than 30 minutes that night.

Hugo Gonzalez’s highlights on both sides of the ball: Even with Payton Pritchard leading the way and Derrick White scoring 18 points, no one had a big game and prepared himself to start the night quite like Gonzalez. Gonzalez finished the night with 18 points and 16 rebounds, and added to his tally with three steals, two blocks and five offensive rebounds. No matter where the basketball was on Monday night, Gonzalez wasn’t far behind.

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Dominate in multiple areas: Not only did Boston win the game, but they did so by dominating the boards, scoring in the paint and getting more assists while cutting down on turnovers. Boston’s largest lead that night was 31 points, while Milwaukee’s largest lead was only 7 points. The Celtics were considered the favorites before the game began, but they took control of the game early and didn’t let up throughout.

Game Highlights: Hugo Gonzalez gets the job done on both ends of the floor