Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will square off on Friday night in Orlando when the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee has essentially locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference throughout the playoffs, as the Bucks have a 6.5-game lead on Toronto, but they want to be able to shake off the rust before the postseason gets underway. As for the Celtics, they would love to grab the No. 2 seed since that would mean they play Brooklyn or Orlando instead of a much more talented team like Indiana or Philadelphia. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on July 31, 2020, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Boston Celtics +4
Milwaukee Bucks -4
Over/Under 217.5
Head-To-Head Results to Date
Milwaukee went 53-12 during the regular season, but the Bucks were just 1-1 against the Celtics on the year. They lost 116-105 in Beantown back in late October, but Giannis Antetokuonmpo exploded for 32 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists in an equalizing victory for the Bucks six months ago.
Injury Report
The only injury concern for Boston ahead of this game is Kemba Walker. Walker has been dealing with a knee issue, so he is listed as questionable against Milwaukee.
Marvin Williams is considered unlikely to play for Milwaukee due to a groin injury, while Pat Connaughton is probable due to a minor illness. Eric Bledsoe should be ready to see some minutes after a delayed entry to the bubble because of a positive COVID-19 test.
Game Preview
The Bucks were well on their way to ending the regular season with the league’s best record. However, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise the season ended when it did as Antetokuonmpo was dealing with a minor injury and Milwaukee had lost four of its last five games. Antetokuonmpo is the favorite to win his second straight NBA MVP, and he is averaging 29.6 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 5.8 APG on the season.
Khris Middleton has shined alongside the Greek Freak, averaging 21.1 PPG while knocking down almost 50 percent of his field goals and 41.8 percent of his threes. Middleton’s emergence as the Pippen to Giannis’ Jordan has helped make Milwaukee a real postseason contender.
We’ll find out a lot about Jayson Tatum over the coming months. Tatum has had an up and down career although he was only drafted in 2017. He was very promising as a rookie, but he failed to deliver on his potential in his sophomore campaign. Tatum has rebounded by posting some monster numbers this year, leading the team with 23.6 PPG and knocking down almost 40 percent of his triples as a power forward.
Walker has been fantastic for the Celtics this season, so Brad Stevens is hoping that he will be healthy on Friday. Boston’s big summer signing is averaging 21.2 PPG, and he has carried the team for long stretches when some of the younger players have bene inconsistent. He is more of a team-first player than Kyrie Irving, and that makes Boston more dangerous than they were last year.
X-Factor
Injuries have sidetracked Gordon Hayward during his time with the Celtics, but the long rest period might have been just what he needed to thrive in the bubble. Hayward is the stretch player that teams covet during this era of basketball, knocking down 39.2 percent of his threes on the season. If he can attack the rim and sink threes, Boston has the potential to topple Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference.
Prediction
As with the other initial games, the ‘under’ is the best bet after such a long layoff. When it comes to a side, Boston is the play.
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