How beating the Bucks helped Celtics boost their morale

The Boston Celtics stun everyone by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 117-103. This was the first game played after the Celtics came off a disappointing 1-4 road trip. Before the Bucks, their latest win came against a short-handed Blazers team.

The Celtics shot 50 percent from the field while sinking 20 of their attempts from beyond the arc. Jaylen Brown put up 19 points in his return while the other ‘J’, Jayson Tatum, went OFF for a season-high 42 points. Grant Williams contributed 17 points, which was one point short of tying his season-high.

Giannis antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday both shared 20 points in their near double-double efforts.

The Boston Celtics Needed This Win

This was a much-needed victory for the Celtics and their fan base. This W may have temporarily silenced all the critics who recommended a rebuild of the team. The Celtics have been at a constant dance with a breakeven record throughout this season. We now have a record of 14-14 while standing 9th in the East. On the other hand, the Bucks are currently 3rd in the conference. Wins like these provide a sparkle of hope that maybe a turnaround is possible, but true fans know that this win should not go to the heads of the Celtics.

Modus Operandi of the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics, no matter the roster, have the potential to stun everyone and prove pundits wrong on any given night. The problem is, there is no consistency. Too many times, after winning games against tough competition, we lose to non-contenders and end up going on losing streaks.

Speaking about streaks, might I remind everyone that an Isaiah Thomas led Celtics broke the Warrior’s 54 game win streak? It could be strongly argued that our current roster would topple that 2016 roster if hypothetically pitted against each other. If the Celtics played with even a tiny bit of heart that the 2016 streak-ending team possessed, we could be topping the NBA right now. Maybe Evan Turner should lecture our players.

Every fan knows our team is more calculated than explosive and, unfortunately, more streaky than consistent. To simply summarize, we won a game against the champions. It feels good. But fans may end up inevitably worrying about the game against the Warriors due to the Celtics MO, which consists of playing careless basketball when things start going well. I do not want to exude pessimism, but I can’t help but feel that complacency may leak into the Warriors game on Friday.

Further bringing the temporary high of beating the Bucks back to reality, we should adopt the mentality that we SURVIVED the Bucks. The Bucks’ Khris Middleton left the game late in the third quarter due to a hyperextended knee, and George Hill did not play. These two have been known to put on a clinic against the Celtics.

The Celtics should be cautious because playing lackadaisical for even a moment against the Warriors can translate into a double-digit deficit in a hurry.

This team still has lots of work to do, and no fan, or even player, should be convinced of this team. The Celtics are not proven and may still need a piece to win more. Adapting the underdog mentality and playing without the fear of not meeting expectations may provide the jolt of energy that this team desperately needs in order to be consistent. Perhaps this is what led to ending Golden State’s win streak and contributed to Boston’s largest win streak in the recent past.

The Boston Celtics look to defend the Garden against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on December 17th and again on December 18th against Julius Randle and the New York Knicks.