Celtics-Bucks Playoff Predictions
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics and Bucks meet in the playoffs for the second straight season, but the stakes are much higher this time around. Last year was a thrilling seven-game series in the first round, but now they're fighting for a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken his game to a new level with the Bucks, who were also one of the best defensive teams in the NBA during the regular season. Slowing him down will be no easy task for the Celtics. But Boston now has a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, which they didn't have last year at this time. Add it all up and we should be in for another incredibly entertaining series.
Will this one go the distance like last year? The WBZ-TV and CBS Boston sports team thinks so, though we're split on who will be victorious in that deciding Game 7 in Milwaukee.
Dan Roche, WBZ-TV
This is a series that will determine if this Celtics team can win a title this year. We've heard all along that come playoff time, the C's would get things in order. Their first-round warmup against the Pacers was solid, but here comes a gigantic test in the Bucks.
Giannis should get plenty of attention from Al Horford and a slew of others. After that, how will a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward affect the series? How do Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova match up? Lots of good things to look forward to.
If the Celtics win, and I think they will, it's a team that can win it all. If they lose, who knows what the future holds for this group.
Celtics in 7
Scott Sullivan, WBZ-TV
This should be an epic series. The Bucks had the best record in the NBA this season and swept the Pistons in the first round. The Celtics had a disappointing regular season but showed glimpses of how good they can be by sweeping the Pacers.
The key for the C's will be containing Giannis Antetkounmpo. "The Greek Freak" is sure to get his points, but Boston has to limit the cast around him. Guys like Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe can't have huge nights to go along with Giannis. If so, the Celts are in big trouble.
As for Milwaukee, it will be interesting to see if they double Kyrie Irving to get the ball out of his hands, or mimic what the C's may do with Antetkounmpo, and allow the point guard to get his while trying to limit the cast around him. Irving saw plenty of double teams in round one and consistently made the right play. If he does the same here and his teammates respond accordingly, the Celts will be tough to stop.
Ultimately, this series feels like a flip of the coin and mine just landed on heads.
Celtics in 7
Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
What an intriguing spot. After sleepwalking through the entire regular season, the Celtics showed up in the playoffs and were who we thought they were. As a result, they're inspiring confidence in the city.
At the same time, because of that dreadful regular season, they're now going to have to steal some games in Milwaukee, against the Bucks, who are much improved from last season and were the best team in basketball this year. That won't be easy.
I'm on the record as being a doubter of these Celtics, but it was hard not to like what they showed in the first round. It'll be an entirely different story against Giannis, though, and I'm going to have to stick with the safer pick.
Bucks in 7
Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
The Bucks are who the Celtics were supposed to be, and this series is a great opportunity for Boston to prove that they are the title contender we all predicted they'd be in the preseason. This is going to be an epic series and I'm not expecting any blowouts. Every game should be close and come down to executing in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics didn't play great overall against the Pacers in the first round, but they played great when it mattered most. Playoff Kyrie will be at a different level against Giannis, and we'll be left shaking our heads at what both can accomplish with the basketball in their hands.
But it'll come down to the non-studs in this series. Whoever gets better performances out of their supporting cast will advance. Lots of people are pointing to the fact that the Kyrie and Hayward-less Celtics won last year's series, so they should win this year with both of those players on the floor. But the Bucks are much, much better than last year, when they were the seven-seed in the East. Mike Budenholzer is a great coach and Brook Lopez has becomes a defensive stud.
The Celtics can beat the Bucks, and they're going to give them a heck of a series. But it will come down to a deciding Game 7 in Milwaukee, and I'm going to go with the team that has gone 35-8 in their home floor this year.
Bucks in 7