Boston Celtics (41-20) beat Milwaukee Bucks (26-34) 108-81 on the road on Monday, March 2. The final margin was 27 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Celtics struck first, taking the opening quarter 30-20 and a 10-point lead after one. The Celtics kept the pressure on with a 27-23 second quarter, carrying a 14-point lead into halftime.
The Celtics won the third 26-22 to create some separation, taking a 18-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics took the fourth 25-16; the Celtics finished the job for a 108-81 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Celtics grabbed 37.3% of their own misses, while the Bucks recovered 20.5%. The Celtics took better care of the ball, turning it over on 11.1% of possessions compared with 17.9% for the Bucks. The second chances kept adding up.
The Bucks did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 18.9 against 6.3. The Celtics made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 90 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 120.5 points per 100 possessions to 90.3 for the Bucks.
Who stood out
Payton Pritchard was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 25 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast on 10-23 shooting. His Game Score of 19.8 led everyone. His team was +15 with him on the floor.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (19 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) and Hugo González (18 pts, 16 reb, 1 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Celtics about a 67% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 4-1.
The Celtics are now 41-20, and the Bucks are 26-34. The Celtics last five before this game: W-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.