Khris Middleton dropped 23 points in the Bucks’ game 5 loss.
Boston at Milwaukee – Game 6 Time: 7 PM CT (TNT) Spread: MIL -4.5 Total: 201
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Boston Celtics won the crucial “swing game” in Game 5, and now it travels back to Milwaukee in attempt to close this series out in six games. The Bucks are still 4.5-point favorites as Game 6 tips off at 7 PM (Central) on TNT, with a betting total at 201 points according to NBA oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
In Game 5, the Celtics slowed the pace down to a crawl and held the Bucks to 37 percent shooting and just 87 points. It allowed Boston to win despite not having any major offensive standouts. Al Horford did drop 22 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists, but Jayson Tatum laid an egg relatively with just eight points. The C’s starting backcourt of Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown combined for 30 points on 9 of 23 shooting.
Boston shot just 42 percent and turned it over 17 times, but it was able to start the game strong, leading 48-37 at the half. Boston will look to get more out of its trio of young wing players in Game 6 to avoid this series going to a decisive seventh game in Boston.
As for the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounpo had one of his quieter games, attempting just 10 field goals but still falling just one assist shy of a triple-double with 16 points, 10 boards, and nine dimes. Khris Middleton shot 9 of 21 from the field for 23 points, but subtracting Middleton and Giannis, the Bucks were just 13 of 56 from the field, which is about as woeful as it gets.
Second-year center Thon Maker fouled out in 23 ineffective minutes off the bench, and (big stiff) Tyler Zeller did close to nothing with the start. The Bucks sorely need defensive standout John Henson back, who ranks No. 2 in the postseason stats for shots contested. Without Henson, the Bucks defense has suffered, and somehow, its offense too. Zeller and Maker are both close to total non-factors, while Horford is going nuts with Henson out of the lineup.
It is an underrated key to Boston closing this series that Henson has been out and the Bucks “D” has gone kaput.
