Jrue Holidays’ return to Milwaukee on Thursday night didn’t go the way he or the Boston Celtics planned.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks embarrassed the Celtics 135-201, spoiling Holiday’s chance for a big night against his former team.
Antetokounmpo had 24 points and Damian Lillard added 21 in the win.
The game was out of hand by the end of the first half, and the Celtics starters sat most of the second half.
The only Boston starter in double digits was Jaylen Brown, who finished with 10 points. Jayson Tatum had just seven points while Holiday finished with six.
NBA fans took to social media to roast the Celtics for their pitiful performance against the Bucks.
The loss for Boston comes after the Celtics won a big overtime game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
That tight contest must have took a toll on the team’s energy, as they certainly looked fatigued on Thursday.
Luckily for the Celtics, they still sit in first place in the Eastern Conference at 29-9, and their starters got plenty of time to rest after sitting the entire second half.
Jaylen Brown is coming into tonight’s matchup after his best rebounding performance of the season.
He will look to follow up the 11 boards he pulled down against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Like the Timberwolves, the Bucks have a lot of size on the inside with Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
It should force guards like Brown to drop back into the paint and help close out defensive possessions.
Both teams tonight are also in the top 10 this season in 3-point attempts per game.
That should lead to increased long rebound opportunities on both sides of the floor for the guards.
With the Bucks also being 4th in pace this season, it will likely lead to an increased number of shots for Brown to chase down.
