addByline("Marc D'Amico", "Celtics.com", "Marc_DAmico");
MILWAUKEE – Home-court advantage is no joke.
It just made this a series in Milwaukee.
Three days after the Celtics dominated Milwaukee inside TD Garden to take a 2-0 series lead, the Bucks held serve by returning the favor Friday night. They dominated Game 3 at home and nabbed their first win of the series, 116-92.
Behind a raucous crowd inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee dominated Game 3 from the jump. The Bucks played spirited basketball throughout the contest and led by double-digits for the final 39-plus minutes of the game, all while leading by as many as 28 points.
“I think that we learned that the level – the intensity – that is playing in the Playoffs on the road (is heightened),” Al Horford said after the loss.
“I feel like it was just a different level of intensity,” he continued, “and we all saw it. We felt it.”
Everyone did.
Milwaukee’s crowd fed off of the Bucks’ play, and the Bucks’ play fed off of the crowd. The energy was palpable, and it was clear from the opening tip that this was a different Bucks team than the one that showed face in Boston.
This Bucks team showcased relentless effort. It showcased fight. It showcased that this series is a long way from being over.
“We realized how important this game was,” claimed Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, amid the blowout, played only 27 minutes while scoring 19 points. “I think that everyone who played, who came in, was ready to go and brought the energy.”
Energy was a hot topic with the Bucks following the contest, and one would have to assume that it was a hot topic before tip-off as well. Milwaukee’s collective body language during Game 3 was night and day compared to that of Games 1 and 2. The Bucks played confidently and brought the fight to Boston.
“The activity and the energy that we brought (were positives),” said Bucks coach Joe Prunty, “and we had a lot of guys contributing and doing the right things and getting to the right spots on the floor. As you go through the game, you need the energy first.”
Milwaukee had it. Boston didn’t.
The Celtics, as Horford alluded to, looked stunned by what Milwaukee and its crowd brought to the table Friday night. Boston’s offense was sped up, and it committed nine turnovers during the first quarter alone, four of which were coughed up by Terry Rozier.
Rozier was one of three Celtics starters, along with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who were making their first career starts during a playoff game on the road. That fact was obvious to all who were watching.
All three players looked tentative and anxious during the first quarter, two characteristics that do not bode well for playoff basketball. Soon enough, all of their teammates joined in displaying those characteristics while Milwaukee began to pull away.
“I think emotions were running high, obviously, and I felt like we just let it get emotional out there,” Horford said of the opening period.
The Celtics never threatened to make a comeback after they fell behind by double-digits during the first quarter. That’s where they stayed for the remainder of the night, as Bucks fans rained “Bucks-In-Six” chants down upon them.
In the end, Game 3 served as a dose of reality to the young and hopeful Celtics. Now they know that winning home games in the Playoffs is the easy part. As Horford explained, “At home, you feel good, you’re comfortable, you’re confident.”
Road games are a whole different animal.
On the road, you’re at the other end of the spectrum. Comfort is hard to come by. Confidence can disappear. All of the energy inside an arena is fighting against you.
The Celtics learned that the hard way during Game 3.
The Bucks used their home-court to their advantage and made this a series. Each of the first three games of the series have now been won by the home team.
It’s on Boston to change that Sunday afternoon.