Giannis crashes Celtics' Defensive Wall, leads Bucks to Game 1 victory

Giannis Antetokounmpo was an unstoppable force in Game 1, tallying a triple-double of 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. The series resumes for Game 2 on Tuesday in Boston.

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In the second quarter, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart sprinted off the court holding his right shoulder after suffering a stinger injury in addition to a separate quad injury.

Robert Williams III suffered an inadvertent kick in the groin region from Giannis Antetokounmpo that left him barely able to stand.

The Boston Celtics are no stranger to physical play in the postseason

Only this time, they were on the receiving end of it, and not the ones dishing it out.

That not-so-subtle difference was a key factor in Boston’s 101-89 Game 1 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Boston’s four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets is a distant memory now, replaced with the painful reality that their second round opponent is bigger, stronger and more physical, all of which were driven home in emphatic fashion on Sunday.

Milwaukee’s physical play led to the Celtics playing the kind of timid basketball we have not seen from them in months, showing an undeniable fear of trying to score in the paint.

So what did the Celtics do?

They tried to lean on 3-point shooting to get them through the game, a battle the Celtics had little if any chance at winning.

For the game, Boston was 18-for-50 shooting from 3-point range. In addition, Boston only scored 10 points on two-point baskets, a clear nod to them spending significantly more time looking to score from the perimeter and beyond the 3-point arc.

More times than not, that strategy doesn’t work.

To beat the Bucks, the Celtics have little choice but to be extremely strategic and intentional with their plan of attack, neither of which seemed to be in great abundance on Sunday.

Fortunately for the Celtics, this is just the first of what should be a long, difficult series that will leave them a battle-tested bunch when it’s over.

The loss hurts, but it’s not what will define the Celtics or their season.

How they respond in Game 2 will not just have an impact on the series, but also speak to their resiliency in the face of tough, turbulent times - something they had not experienced in any significantly thus far in the playoffs.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds in Boston’s Game 1 loss to Milwaukee.

STARS

Giannis Antetokounmpo: He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (9-for-25 from the field) and wasn’t nearly as dominant as we’ve seen him in past games. But the attention he drew all game long, was essential to Milwaukee playing with a lead most of the night. And even with all the added attention from the league’s top defense, Antetokounmpo still finished with a triple-double of 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.

Jayson Tatum: He was Boston’s best player, but that wasn’t really saying a lot in Game 1. Tatum was defended as well as we’ve seen thus far in this series, but still managed a team-high 21 points on 6-for-18 shooting, with six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

STUDS

Jrue Holiday: Maybe the most under-rated member of Milwaukee’s core group, Holiday’s defense and timely shot-making was a major factor in the Bucks getting the Game 1 win. He would finish the game with a game-high 25 points with nine rebounds and five assists and three steals.

Bobby Portis: He has been among the key players for the Bucks with Khris Middleton out. Portis was once again being impactful, tallying a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

DUDS

Jaylen Brown: There were several matchups that on paper at least, would favor Jaylen Brown. But he never found his groove in Game 1 and thus, wasn’t able to make the most of those moments. He finished the game with 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting, to go with nine rebounds, four assists and a game-high seven turnovers.

Payton Pritchard: He had several open to lightly-contested shot attempts in the fourth quarter, most of which were off the mark. There’s never a good time to miss shots, but Pritchard’s poor shooting in the fourth was among the factors contributing to Boston’s late-game struggles against Milwaukee. For the game, Pritchard had six points on 2-for-8 shooting and had a plus/minus of minus-17 for the game.