Ford Keys to the Game: Celtics at Bucks

Celtics 84, Bucks 86

Game Highlights

Photo of the Game

Kevin Garnett flies through the air for an emphatic slam to finish off a fast break.
Gary Dineen/Getty Images

By Marc D'Amico
Celtics.com

Key Moment

The Celtics entered the final minute of play down by four, but Kevin Garnett cut that deficit in half with a smooth jumper from the top of the key with 53.2 seconds remaining. Then it was time for the defense to step up again in crunch time, just as it did during Sunday night's comeback win over the Wizards at home.

Getting defensive stops down the stretch is a much more difficult task on the road, but if any team is capable of making that happen, it's the Celtics. Ray Allen, in particular, has been a key cog in getting stops in crunch time this season because he is usually defending the opponent's best scorer. He was put in that situation again tonight, this time defending John Salmons.

The Bucks went to Salmons almost immediately on their possession, but Allen was all over him and forced him into a very difficult and contested shot from 19 feet that missed long. Unfortunately for Boston, though, the rebound fell into the hands of Andrew Bogut and Milwaukee retained possession with a chance to take the clock under 10 seconds.

The Bucks attempted to go Salmons again, but Allen did an incredible job of overplaying him and took away every passing lane that otherwise would have existed. As a result, rookie point guard Brandon Jennings was forced into a 3-pointer as Paul Pierce closed out on him and the shot missed long.

Boston grabbed the rebound and called timeout with 8.6 seconds remaining and trailing by two points. One issue, though, was that the Bucks had a foul to give, so Doc Rivers had to draw up two plays during the timeout. The first one went to Pierce, and as he drove down the left side of the lane he was fouled by Ersan Ilyasova before he got a shot off. The C's now had 3.9 seconds remaining to try and tie the game up.

Despite a tough shooting night, Rivers clearly wanted the ball in Pierce's hands for this shot. The Celtics inbouned the ball to Pierce just outside of the 3-point line on the left wing. He took the ball to his right and Garnett gave him a great screen at the top of the key, freeing up the captain for a great look to tie the game with a 19-foot jumper. But, just as most of his shots did tonight, Pierce's final attempt went away, and with that Boston's four-game win streak was snapped.

Key Box Score Line

We usually go with a Celtic in this area, but it's difficult to ignore the monster night Andrew Bogut had against Boston tonight. He was dominant in every sense of the word. Yes, he scored 25 points, but the real stats that stand out are his 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. It's the second big night that Bogut has had against the C's in as many chances this season, and if these two teams happen to meet in the playoffs, the Boston coaching staff will need to do some serious game planning around the Australian center.

Box Score Nuggets

• Both teams committed 15 turnovers.
• Kevin Garnett had eight points and nine rebounds at halftime, but finished with only 14 points and 10 boards.
• Rajon Rondo recorded team-highs of 20 points and six assists.
• The Celtics were outrebounded 41-34.
• Boston took 22 free throw attempts compared to only 11 for Milwaukee.
• Only two reserves scored for the Bucks. Ersan Ilyasova recorded nine points and Charlie Bell had two.
• Not a single Buck player had more than four assists.
• Andrew Bogut had four blocks and the Celtics team had only two.
• Boston outscored Milwaukee 18-3 in fast break points.
• Carlos Delfino scored 19 points for the Bucks.
• Ray Allen scored only three points on 0-of-3 shooting. All of those attempts were from downtown.
• Despite scoring only three points, Ray Allen was the only starter to have a positive plus/minus rating.
• Michael Finley scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting in eight minutes during his first appearance as a Celtic.
• The Bucks shot 46.6 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from 3-point range.

Quote of the Night

Doc Rivers on what keyed Milwaukee's win: "I thought all of the little plays were going to be the difference in the game, loose balls and offensive rebounds. I thought they won that battle."