BOSTON – For the first time all series, Giannis Antetokounmpo looked human – and Boston’s Semi Ojeleye had a lot to do with it.
While Boston threw a number of defenders at Antetokounmpo, nobody did a better job on him than Ojeleye whose play was critical to Boston’s 112-96 Game 7 win as Boston won the best-of-seven series 4-3.
Following the win, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens heaped a tremendous amount of praise on Ojeleye, the Celtics’ second-round pick from last June’s NBA draft.
“He was unbelievable,” Stevens of Ojeleye defensively. “Semi and his performance, we don’t win this series without him.”
When told about Stevens’ comments, Ojeleye replied, “I mean, I give praise to God for putting me in the position to let me be successful helping my team.”
Maybe the most impressive part of the job that Ojeleye did in limiting Antetokounmpo to 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting, was that the Bucks as a team were scoreless in transition points.
“Run back and be long” was the strategy, quipped Stevens. “I mean, sometimes they may not call it fast-break points when Giannis comes with five guys already back there, but he still goes through you all. That feels like a fast-break point if he’s coming from fifty feet. So, we just tried to do our best. I thought the team effort on him was outstanding, led by Semi.”
Boston Celtics
And of all the unexpected twists and turns Boston went through in this series, that right there – the defense against the Greek Freak was led by Ojeleye – may be the most surprising development of them all.
To the average fan, maybe.
But to his teammates?
“To be honest, I expect nothing less from Semi,” said Boston’s Jaylen Brown. “His mindset, how he carries himself, he was ready for that challenge.”
Al Horford added, “I felt like he changed the series for us. A lot of credit goes to him. He did an unbelievable job on Giannis. It’s just a lot of credit for him to because he stayed ready and he didn’t always play a lot all year. When we needed him the most, he stepped up.”
Here are the Stars, Studs, and Duds from Boston’s 112-96 Game 7 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
STARS
Al Horford: Big Al morphed into ass-kicking Al Horford in Game 7, delivering big shots, clutch passes, and key defensive plays all game. He would finish with a team-high 26 points on 13-for-17 shooting to go with eight rebounds and two assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Mired in foul trouble for a good chunk of the game, Antetokounmpo still managed a respectable superstar-esque stat line of 22 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Terry Rozier: When he’s making shots, the Celtics are a pretty damn tough team to beat. He would finish with a playoff career-high 26 points to go with nine assists and six rebounds.
Khris Middleton: He may not be an all-star (yet), but he certainly played like one throughout this entire seven-game series. And while Boston’s defense made him work a lot harder than usual in Game 7, Middleton still finished with a game-high 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
STUDS
Jayson Tatum: He has played with a level of maturity beyond his years all season, and Game 7 wasn’t any different. He had 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting with six rebounds and five assists, a blocked shot and a team-best plus/minus of +24.
Semi Ojeleye: He was tasked with defending Giannis Antetokounmpo most of this series, and Ojeleye came up with his best defensive performance in Game 7. In addition to his defense, Ojeleye had five points and just as significant, the Celtics were a +10 when he was on the floor.
Eric Bledsoe: There wasn’t a single Bucks player who was heckled more than Bledsoe in this series. And to his credit, in the biggest game of the season, he stepped up and gave Milwaukee a much-needed jolt offensively. He scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
Marcus Smart: It takes a special player to shoot 2-for-7 from the field in a series-clinching game and be one of the biggest difference-makers in the game and to a larger extent, the entire series. That is what Marcus Smart meant to the Celtics. He was one of the main reasons why Giannis Antetokounmpo was in foul trouble, and why Middleton got off to a slow start shooting the ball which allowed Boston to gain control of the game and never let up.
DUDS
Thon Maker: He was an inside presence that gave Boston fits for a couple games. But the Celtics saw something in Game 6 that they could exploit in Game 7 and it worked to a charm, evident by Boston getting 60 points in the paint.
Malcolm Brogdon: The reigning rookie of the year was a non-factor at both ends of the floor for Milwaukee. In addition to scoring just two points while missing seven of his eight shot attempts, he struggled to limit Boston’s perimeter players.