The Celtics will quickly hit the road to finish off a back-to-back with a trip to Milwaukee on Monday night.
The Bucks are coming off Sunday’s 120-97 loss at Chicago, which ended the Bulls’ 11-game losing streak. The Bulls scored 27 straight points in the second half, a run that began in the third quarter and spilled into the fourth.
Get Starting Point
Milwaukee is battling for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference and the final spot in the East play-in tournament. The Bucks are three games out of that spot entering Monday. They have been playing without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last 15 games with a right calf strain.
Tip-off Monday is set for 7:30 p.m. in Milwaukee and on NBC Sports Boston. Here’s a preview.
When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
TV, radio: NBCSB, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Boston -7.5. O/U: 215.5.
CELTICS
Season record: 40-20. vs. spread: 35-25. Over/under: 22-38
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 7-3. Over/under: 3-7
BUCKS
Season record: 26-33. vs. spread: 27-32. Over/under: 25-34
Last 10 games: 6-4. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 5-5
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Boston 115.0, Milwaukee 111.8
Points allowed per game: Boston 107.4, Milwaukee 115.7
Field goal percentage: Boston .467, Milwaukee .480
Opponent field goal percentage: Boston .441, Milwaukee .467
3-point percentage: Boston .364, Milwaukee .389
Opponent 3-point percentage: Boston .360, Milwaukee .366
Stat of the day: Queta is averaging career highs in points (9.8) and rebounds (8.2) per game this season
Notes: Queta, who has started 55 of the 56 games he’s played this season, said the Boston coaching staff has been instrumental in his development. “They really have a care factor, too,” Queta said. “They care for you as a person, too. Their ability to go out there every day, demand a bunch out of you and still be able to go out there and have a relationship with you outside of basketball. They try to have your best interests, too. They go beyond basketball Xs and Os off the court. They go out there and really care for you and that makes your job so much easier knowing they got your back.” … Milwaukee missed 17 consecutive shots at one point in the fourth quarter of its Sunday loss to Chicago. “We didn’t get the right shots,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Half of them were [two-point field goals] contested. When you approach the game and play like that you don’t deserve to win. If we’d have won the game I’d have been upset and taken the win because we need it, but that is not how you play basketball. … That was a disappointing loss and I hope we all feel it.” … Monday’s game will be the teams’ third meeting this season. The Bucks earned a 116-101 home victory on Dec. 11, and the Celtics prevailed 107-79 at home on Feb. 1.
Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected].
