NBA Playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics Preview, Schedule

MILWAUKEE, WI — This is the big moment you've been waiting for, Bucks fans. After dispatching the Detroit Pistons in dominating fashion four games to none, Milwaukee advances to the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs to face the Boston Celtics, who dispatched the shorthanded Indiana Pacers four games to none as well.

No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 5 Boston Celtics

Game 1:

• Sunday, April 28
• Time: Noon CDT
• Location: Fiserv Forum -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• TV channel: ABC
• Online streaming: WatchESPN
• Odds: Bucks -7.5

Game 2: Celtics at Bucks, Tuesday, April 30, TBD -- TV: TNT
Game 3: Bucks at Celtics, Friday, May 3, TBD -- TV: ESPN
Game 4: Bucks at Celtics, Monday, May 6, TBD -- TV: TNT
Game 5:* Celtics at Bucks, Wednesday, May 8, TBD -- TV: TNT
Game 6:* Bucks at Celtics, Friday, May 10, TBD -- TV: ESPN
Game 7*: Celtics at Bucks, Monday, May 13, TBD -- TV: TNT

How They Got Here

In 2017, the Milwaukee bucks finished the season with a 44-38 record, and clinched the seventh seed in the NBA Playoffs. They faced second-seed Boston in the first round and lost in seven games.

During the off-season, the Bucks said goodbye to head coach Jason Kidd and his interim replacement Joe Prunty, let go players Jabari Parker, Tason Terry, Tyler Zeller and moved players Jon Henson, Matthew Dellavedova early the next season.

In their place, the Bucks hired coach Mike Budehnolzer and made several big acquisitions, including seven-foot three-point shooting center Brook Lopez, who's also great around the basket. They brought in three-point shooting bigs Ersan Ilyasova (hello, again) and Nikola Mirotic. They added guards Pat Connaughton and George Hill.

The Bucks also saw market improvement from reserve guard Sterling Brown, and guard Malcom Brogdon has emerged as one of the league's best shooters and most efficient players. Guard Eric Bledsoe continued his run as one of the toughest point guards around and forward Khris "Cashmoney" Middleton earned an All-Star selection.

Giannis, The Bucks 'Unicorn'

Six years ago in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted a relative unknown player mired in the second-highest minor league of basketball in Greece.

The Bucks saw that the spindly 6-foot-9 power forward had an uncanny skill set: he was a surprisingly fluid ball handler, was an adept passer, was extremely creative as a playmaker, made stunning plays on defense, and had exceptional length, leaping ability, agility and foot speed - even for the NBA.

These days, he's known in NBA circles as a "unicorn" - a player who can play all five positions on offense and defense at an elite level. His transformation from teen to tower of power took six years to fully manifest. He grew two inches in height, added more than 40 pounds in weight and muscle, and honed his game year after year.

From the 2013-14 season to the present, he's averaged more points per game, and collected more rebounds per game every year. He's He's a leading MVP candidate and the best player on a team with the best record in the NBA.

How The Bucks Got Better

Under coach Budenholzer, the team built their offense around the two - or maybe three - most valuable things to an NBA offense: making three-pointers, getting to the basket and having an unstoppable force like Giannis to outrun and out-jump opponents whether in transition or in back-to-the-basket situations.

Midrange shots - defined as two-point shots outside the paint yet shorter to the three-point line - were the least-efficient way to score points. Milwaukee's strategy changed to take as few midrange shots as possible.

During the 2017-18 season, the Bucks ranked 20th in overall offensive rating and 27th in three-point shooting. They shot an average of 25.6 threes per game and made 8.8 of them.

This year, with players like Lopez, Ilyasova, Middleton, Mirotic, Brogdon and just about everybody else, the team now shoots 39.6 threes per game and make 13.9 of them, boosting their points per game from 106.5 per game to 117.8.

As the Bucks learned to shoot more efficiently, the Bucks under coach Budenholzer forced their opponents into shooting less-efficient shots.

Gone was coach Kidd's aggressive trapping-style help defense. That defense left its players constantly scrambling to the ball, which left opponents open across the court if they were good at moving the ball - and in most cases, they were.

Giannis appears to be the anchor of Milwaukee's defense with his supernatural ability to guard all five positions on the floor while also protecting the basket. The big difference is that the Bucks built their defense around stopping opponents near the basket with big man Brook Lopez, who's one of the best defenders near the basket.

While the Bucks surrender the most three-pointers in the league at 35.7 per game, they are also the best at guarding the basket, and surrender a league-best 56.3 percent field goal percentage near the basket.