Video Courtesy of CelticsHub.com (They have more! Go check it out!)

Recap/Box Score

He flew out at the Celtics best player, his arm extended far as it could go.  Another night full of blocked shots, his arms must have looked like stop signs to the Celtics.  Every time they ventured into the lane he awaited, ready to throw one of his big, red, horizontal shaped hands at them with the same message warning them to cease.

But he could not get to this one.  The crafty Celtic veteran Paul Pierce faded just far enough back to launch his shot just out of the reach of the Bucks defensive anchor, who’d roamed out to challenge the Celtics tying attempt.  The ball sailed through the air; surely many in the Bradley Center were having Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant flashbacks as if Tuesday’s game were nothing more than a bad horror movie.  We’d seen this killer before in his other shapes, would he do it again?

And then the final shot rimmed out.  Andrew Bogut could breathe a sigh of relief.  Another Herculean effort of his would not go to waste and the Bucks would not bow out at the buzzer yet again.

Bogut finished Tuesday with 25 points (10-18 FG 5-5 FT), 17 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Bucks over the Celtics 86-84 in a game that gave the home crowd and, more importantly, the home team a little taste of the playoffs in early March.  From scoring the Bucks first four points, to helping to deny the Celtics of their possible last two, Bogut did it all for the Bucks.  The typically strong defender Kendrick Perkins did his best to muscle Bogut out of the lane and challenge his shots, only to see the Aussie drop in one running hook and spin after the next.  Especially pleasing for Bucks fans were the moments when Bogut was truly aggressive.

I love seeing Bogut drop in hooks as much as the next person, but it can leave him out of position for rebounds and keep him from getting to the line.  That’s why it was so delightful to see Bogut grab a rebound for a put back dunk or cram in a top ten nominee on Glen Davis.  Defensively Bogut is the total package and offensively he has as good a finesse game around the hoop as any big man in the league.  At times I’ve thought he lacked killer instinct, nasty demeanor and a midrange game.  Tonight?  Well, he missed a 15-footer that would have put it away with a minute to go, but I can live with that — especially if I keep seeing the instinct and the nasty that was on display Tuesday. Read more…

(From the Daily Dime Live) “Zach Lowe (Celtics Hub) – And we are tied entering the 4th quarter. If you’re a sub-.500 team who plays hard, you are almost guaranteed to play the C’s close in Boston this season. It’s uncanny.”

Unfortunately for the Bucks, that doesn’t necessarily result in wins.  Yes, playing hard is great and coming close against the Celtics is fun, but ultimately losing sucks.  While this game wasn’t nearly as frustrating as the Cleveland Blowout last Sunday, it wasn’t very satisfying to see the Bucks put it together when they needed it most.  If they got a stop, they couldn’t get a bucket.  If they got a bucket, they couldn’t get a stop.  Ultimately they blew it over a two and a half minute stretch in the fourth.

The most difficult thing to swallow about this stretch is the Bucks inability to even get a shot up.  Two turnovers by Andrew Bogut and one from Brandon Jennings. That’s the just the strength of the Celtic defense.  Sure, Bogut burned them for 25 points, but when push came to shove, the Celtics ramped it up a notch.  On Jennings turnover in particular the Bucks looked especially passive and Jennings looked like a rookie for certain.  Kevin Garnett jumped out and looked mischevious like he always does and Jennings looked rattled before coughing it up on a double dribble.  That’s the kinds of mental breakdowns that solid veteran teams to not make.  In time my friends, in time. Read more…