MILWAUKEE – Al Horford was disappointed but far from discouraged following Boston’s Game 6 loss at Milwaukee.
It’s easy to forget that Boston has one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, and look very much like a team that’s competing in the present with an eye towards the future.
That’s why despite the series being in a 3-all tie with a winner-moves-on matchup for Saturday, Celtics ownership is pleased with the team presently and its potential for the future.
“It’s really a group of 20-somethings around here,” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck told NBC Sports Boston. “Even including Gordon (Hayward) and Kyrie (Irving). I tell you what, I’m excited about this team. I’m excited now, and I’m excited for the future.”
Here are five takeaways from Game 6 to keep in mind as Boston gears up for a series-clinching Game 7 battle Saturday night.
Boston Celtics
MARCUS MORRIS
We’re six games into this series and two things are clear: Semi Ojeleye is the best player Boston has when it comes to defending Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Marcus Morris, like most Celtics, has struggled when tasked with trying to stop Antetokounmpo but you need him on the floor because of what he provides scoring-wise. Morris’ 5-for-14 shooting wasn’t bad, but the Celtics need him to be better at both ends of the floor to come away with a series-clinching win Saturday night.
TERRY ROZIER
He really has become the barometer in this series for whether we see the ballin’ out Celtics or the ones getting beat down. In the three wins, Rozier has averaged 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 45 percent (9-for-20) from 3-point range. In the three losses, Rozier’s averaging 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting just 21.7 percent from the field and 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from 3-point range.
NOT ENOUGH SHOTS FOR HORFORD
The ball found its way into his hands frequently, but Horford passed up way too many great looks in order to get his teammates more involved. Despite not being as much of a focal point in Game 6 as the Celtics had been earlier, Horford still managed a double-double of 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting and 10 rebounds.
BOSTON’S 3-POINT SHOOTING
For most of this season, the Celtics ranked among the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. Only Golden State (39.1 percent) shot better than Boston (37.7 percent) from 3-point range during the regular season. But in the six playoff games against Milwaukee, the Celtics have made 35 percent of their threes which is 10th among the 16 playoff teams.
KHRIS MIDDLETON
We knew Giannis Antetokounmpo was going to be a load for the Celtics. But Khris Middleton has been the real difference-maker for the Bucks in this series. In this series, Middleton is averaging 23.5 points on 59.5 percent shooting from the field and 62.5 percent from 3-point range. Game 6 was more of the same from Middleton, scoring 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field.