4 takeaways as Celtics fall to Bucks 131-125 in overtime thriller despite missing four starters

The Celtics put up a valiant fight down four of their usual starters but it wasn’t enough against the Bucks on Tuesday night. The hosts rallied from a five-point overtime deficit for a 131-125 win over Boston at Fiserv Forum. Boston used a 9-3 run at the end of regulation to force overtime after Sam Hauser hit a well-contested 3 with three seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. However, the Bucks fought back in overtime behind 40 points from Jrue Holiday and 34 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Derrick White led the way for the Celtics who were missing Jayson Tatum (illness), Jaylen Brown (facial bruise), Marcus Smart (ankle) and Al Horford (knee) for the showdown with the No. 2 team in the East standings. White had his third straight 20-10 game, leading six different Celtics in double figures in a tough road environment.

Big performances from Mike Muscala and Blake Griffin in the frontcourt helped the Celtics put up 95 points for the first three quarters. Anteotokunmpo and Holiday fought back late in the game though as the Bucks top-3 defense woke up and locked down against Boston’s second string, using a 10-0 run midway through the frame to take the lead before Boston’s rally at end of regulation. Stout defense late also erased Boston’s lead in overtime and helped seal the win.

The victory gives the Bucks their 11th straight win overall and snapped Boston’s four-game winning streak. Milwaukee sits just a half-game behind the Celtics in the standings for the No. 1 seed in the East. The Celtics wrap up their first half schedule with a home game against the Pistons on Wednesday night.

Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ play on Tuesday night.

Derrick White remains on a roll: Fresh off Eastern Conference player of the week honors, the point guard racked up his third consecutive double-double as the catalyst for the undermanned starting five. The veteran struggled from beyond the arc but was aggressive in finding the seams against a top-5 Bucks defense that was at full strength except for big man Bobby Portis. White has now scored in double figures in 11 straight games dating back to January 23rd, putting together easily his best stretch as a member of the Celtics. The timing couldn’t be much better given the injuries to the starting five.

Mike Muscala runs with the opportunity in his first career start but fizzles late: The newest Celtic got the starting nod at power forward next to Blake Griffin in a surprise lineup for Joe Mazzulla to maximize floor spacing against the Bucks defense. The former Thunder big man came out red hot, scoring 10 points in the opening five minutes of the game to help jumpstart Boston’s offense. He led the Celtics with 18 points through three quarters but started to cool down late after playing over 30 minutes for the first time in a game since January 2020. Given the price paid by Brad Stevens with just two second-round picks at the trade deadline for the veteran, the Celtics have gotten pretty impressive bang for their buck in his first week in green. However, Muscala struggled mightily in fourth quarter and overtime as he played a career-high 43 minutes in the extra period.

Robert Williams returns to the bench: Williams was the only big man available out of Boston’s usual starters but Joe Mazzulla made the surprise decision to bring him off the bench and start Blake Griffin and Muscala instead. The motives behind the choice weren’t clear but based on the fact that Williams only play five first-half minutes, it’s likely a minutes limit factored in as the team tries to manage an ankle injury that made him a game-time decision until an hour before tip. Williams was also able to match up with a smaller Bucks bench unit for a few of his stints and hit all three of his shots but was still a bit hesitant at the rim, looking to pass first before finish on multiple occasions even against smaller defenders. He finished with five points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes With Al Horford expected back tomorrow against the Pistons, Williams will likely get the night off and get eight full days off heading into the All-Star Break.

Undermanned Celtics run out of gas in ovetime: Boston’s offense held up strong with 95 points in the first three quarters. However, the Bucks define was able to lock down in the final frame, kicking the period off with a 9-0 run to re-take the lead. Derrick White put up a bit of a fight midway through the frame and again in overtime, but another Bucks 13-2 run in overtime closed out the undermanned Celtics. The visitors saw their shot quality steadily diminish late without their top creators and that spelled disaster as the Bucks’ got hot from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and again in overtime.