BOSTON -- You could not have drawn up a better scenario than the one the Boston Celtics were looking with more than six minutes left in the third quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, Celtics killers No. 1 and 2, were on the bench straddled with four personal fouls with the score tied.
For a Boston team that absolutely had to have Game 4, this was their time to take control of the game right?
Uh … not exactly.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Milwaukee was sporting an 80-72 lead.
It was indicative of how this series has played out as the Bucks surged ahead in the fourth for a 113-101 win.
Milwaukee now leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 with a chance to close out the series on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Boston Celtics
It was a collective meltdown by Boston to the top-seeded Bucks who simply played harder and smarter while showing a level of depth that proved to be too much for the Celtics - even against the Celtics go-to guys like Kyrie Irving who delivered yet another underwhelming performance.
Even the return of Marcus Smart couldn’t provide the necessary spark for Boston to get back in this series which seems all but a given to end with the Bucks moving on to the Eastern Conference finals while the Celtics will have their season end in the second round - the quickest postseason exit for Boston since 2016.
Here are the standouts from Game 4 between Boston and Milwaukee.
MVPS
Mike Budenholzer: He didn’t log a single minute of court time, but he seemed to push all the right buttons with the right combinations all making their impact felt. And the way his team responded to real adversity - no Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton for most of the third quarter because of foul trouble - spoke volumes not just about the players but his decision-making to have the right guys in the right position to make a significant impact at the precise time the Bucks needed it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: He has been giving the Celtics fits this entire series, but it seemed Game 4 was when he finally broke Boston’s defense down for good. They had no answer for him. They couldn’t slow down his drives. He was making 3-pointers. He was everywhere and anywhere defensively, finishing with a monster game of 38 points, 16 rebounds and four assists.
Most Improved
Marcus Morris: He was one of the few bright spots for the Boston Celtics. He was tough, made big shots, played well on the glass and did all the things that the Celtics needed so many others to do but failed to do so. He would finish the night with a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Al Horford: For most of the game, the Boston Celtics got solid Al Horford who in the fourth quarter became spectacular with big plays at both ends of the floor. He would tally 20 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. But it was clear that defending Giannis Antetokounmpo was taking its toll on his legs with most of his missed shots being short.
Sixth Man
George Hill: A strong case could be made for him as the MVP of this game when you consider those clutch baskets he made in the third quarter when their top two scorers were on the bench because of foul trouble. For the game, he had 15 points.
Mr. Not-So-Great
Kyrie Irving: It’s not even close. You have to tip your hat to the Milwaukee Bucks who have done a solid job defensively on Irving and the rest of the Celtics. But the struggles Irving has had making shots, has more to do with him missing open ones than how the Bucks are guarding him. He came into Monday’s game shooting just 39.3 percent from the field, and was even worse in Game 4 connecting on just seven of his 22 shot attempts (31.8 percent shooting) before finishing with 23 points. And let’s not talk about the times he was beaten off the dribble or fouled a 3-point shooter in the act of launching one up. This will easily go down as the worst playoff series in Irving’s career.
Gordon Hayward: From the outset, a strong playoff showing from Gordon Hayward was going to be needed for the Celtics. And Hayward just didn’t get it done. He struggled to make shots. His playmaking skills weren’t anywhere close to what we saw at the end of the regular season. He has been a non-factor in this entire postseason run, so his struggles in Game 4 unfortunately for the Celtics were par for the course. He had just two points on 1-for-5 shooting with zero assists.
Celtics bench: Boston got little to nothing out of its second unit, leaving head coach Brad Stevens little choice but to lean heavily on his starters in the fourth quarter with the team’s season on the line. Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes all struggled to make shots and were all over the map when it came to defense. They combined to shoot 3-for-17 (17.6 percent).
Turning point
Giannis Antetokounmpo picks up fourth personal foul with 8:18 to play in the third quarter and the score tied at 59. Then, Khris Middleton picked up his fourth personal foul 61 seconds later with Boston leading 62-59. With Antetokounmpo and Middleton on the bench, it was Milwaukee - not Boston - that surged ahead as the Bucks went on a 21-10 surge to lead 80-72 going into the fourth quarter. Boston spent the rest of the game playing from behind, showing no signs of putting together enough stops or making enough shots to make a serious dent in Milwaukee’s lead.
Up Next
Boston will try to stave off elimination with Game 5 set for Milwaukee on Wednesday.
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