There were a lot of great matchups that basketball fans were looking forward to during the NBA’s Christmas Day slate. The one which a majority of people were most excited about was the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Boston Celtics.
Throughout the season they have looked like the two best teams in the Eastern Conference and they faced off for the first time this season on Sunday evening. The Celtics came away with a dominant 139-118 victory.
Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics, putting another feather in his cap regarding his MVP-caliber season. He scored a game-high 41 points, shooting 14-of-22 from the field, knocking down 3-of-7 3-point attempts and all 10 of his free throws. Milwaukee didn’t have an answer for him, as he also grabbed seven rebounds with five assists and three steals.
He was able to outduel his fellow MVP hopeful, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had an uncharacteristic shooting day. The Greek Freak made only 9-of-22 attempts from the field, going 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 8-of-12 from the foul line en route to 27 points.
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Following the game, Tatum was very complimentary of Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. He has a lot of respect for them and knows the Bucks are a team that the Celtics will likely have to get through if they are to realize their goal of winning a championship.
“They bring out the best in us,” Tatum said. “We know they’re a team we’re going to see pretty often, and Giannis is, if not the best, one of the best players in the league today. I got a lot of respect for him and the things he’s accomplished, and just how he approaches the game. When we’re not playing, I like watching the Bucks play. He’s a big reason why.”
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With the win, Boston is now 24-10 on the season, 1.5 games ahead of Milwaukee, who dropped to 22-11 as they suffered their third consecutive defeat. The next time that the two Eastern Conference juggernauts will face off is Valentine’s Day on February 14th.
After that, they will close their regular season series on March 30th. Those could be important games when it comes to seeding in the Eastern Conference and both games will be played in Milwaukee.
