Enjoy Basketball: Bucks topple Celtics, Draymond-less Warriors squeak by Grizzlies

Welcome back to another edition of Enjoy Basketball!

Numbers are always contextual. For example, do you think that 50 percent is good? If that’s what you’re getting on a math test, I doubt it. That’s an F. But what if Stephen Curry shot 50 percent on three-pointers in a single season? That’d be one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. On Sunday, the NBA earned a 50 percent. Half of the games were fun.

A 50 percent isn’t ideal in that context, especially when there are only two games to choose from. One of them was amazing. It came down to the wire. The final play. The other? Not so much. With only four series going on, fans should always be hoping for better than 50 percent. But that’s what happened yesterday.

Let’s get into the action.

Bucks stomp Celtics at TD Garden

Spoiler alert, this was the dud. If the NBA’s final grade for Sunday was split up into two assignments, this was the one that got a zero. That being said, Milwaukee Bucks fans should be ecstatic with that zero. Boston Celtics fans should not. Unfortunately, I fall in that second group.

Outside of the first couple of minutes, Boston showed no signs of life. And even when they did, it was quickly trampled by a turnover and a Milwaukee transition bucket. Every time the Celtics were about to turn things around, the Bucks were right there to snuff out the flame. The only bright spot for the Celtics was Al Horford, who played his heart out. The Jays were both rough, but Jaylen Brown was the real letdown. He shot 4-for-13 from the field and had seven turnovers. Seven. That being said, the Celtics are keeping their heads up after the loss.

Boston held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 9-of-25 shooting… and lost. Khris Middleton was out, Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday combined to shoot 17-of-45 from the field, and the Bucks still won the game. That right there should tell you how poorly the Celtics played on the offensive side of the ball.

Give the Bucks all the credit in the world, though. Antetokouunmpo may not have shot well, but he dished out 12 assists. His passing was incredible, and it was a primary reason the Bucks were able to find any consistent offense. He found the one flaw in Boston’s defense that Kevin Durant could not. Whenever they doubled him, he always made the right pass. In addition to that, he and Brook Lopez were a brick wall in the paint. On shots defended by Antetokounmpo or Lopez, the Celtics shot 3-for-20. That includes 1-for-15 on two-pointers. Oh yeah, and Antetokounmpo also did this.

There’s plenty of series left, but Milwaukee dominated Game 1. However, it’s highly unlikely that Jayson Tatum and Brown will play that poorly again. It’s also unlikely that Antetokounmpo and Holiday continue to shoot as terribly as they did. All-in-all, while this should still be a fantastic series, Milwaukee got the first punch in. No more home-court advantage for Boston.

Bucks lead 1-0

Warriors scrape by against Grizzlies

Both lower seeds stole home-court advantage on Sunday, as the Golden State Warriors were able to take down the Memphis Grizzlies by a single point. There’s a lot to unpack from this game, from flagrant fouls to late-game heroics, but let me start by saying how amazing this game was. This is what the playoffs should be like every night. This was the part of the grade that earned a 100 percent.

First and foremost, let’s get it out of the way - Draymond Green got ejected. I don’t want to say he deserved it, but I also don’t want to say that he didn’t deserve it. You can’t pull someone down mid-air, even though it was clear that Green had no intention of hurting Brandon Clarke. He made a reckless play with no malintent, and he got booted because of it. Simple as that.

Draymond egging on the crowd afterward was pure entertainment, though. Just listen to those boos.

Now, let’s get to the gameplay. This game included three 30-point scorers. THREE! Ja Morant was incredible, Jaren Jackson Jr. was hotter than a seat buckle in the summer, and Jordan Poole continued to show why he’s one of the best young stars in the game. (Wow, it was a great game for “J” names, huh.) But as great as this game was, and as hot as JJJ got in the third, this one was all about the fourth quarter.

Let’s be honest, the basketball gods evened themselves out at the end of the game. Yes, that ball went off of Dillon Brooks. It should have been Warriors basketball. But that wouldn’t have mattered if Klay Thompson hadn’t missed two free throws. And also, Morant’s layup attempt was the perfect shot. It just didn’t fall. The entire fourth quarter was pure chaos in the best way possible.

Also, I just wanted to throw in a little section about two players - Clarke and Gary Payton II. The big names were out in the brightest fashion, but these two were the night's true stars. Clarke’s incessant rebounding and Payton’s relentless defensive effort are two reasons I love watching basketball. Kudos.

Warriors lead 1-0

Payton can also do this, by the way…

Joel Embiid out indefinitely with orbital fracture

Spencer wrote about how dominant Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey were the last time we checked in. Those three were incredible in Philadelphia's closeout game over the Raptors. But as Timone said in The Lion King:

🎵Our trio’s down to two🎵

Embiid has been ruled out indefinitely after taking an elbow to the face from Pascal Siakam in Game 6. Injuries suck. They’re the worst. As a fan of basketball, I want to see the best players out there every game, and Embiid being out hurts that in a big way. However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Embiid could be back for Game 3 or 4. Hopefully, we’ll get another round of Masked Embiid.

Kings narrow down coaching search

According to reports, the Sacramento Kings have narrowed their coaching search to three candidates - Steve Clifford, Mark Jackson, and Mike Brown. All three have prior experience as head coaches in the NBA, so it’s clear that the Kings value that. Clifford coached the Magic last season, Jackson last coached back in 2014 with the Warriors, and Brown’s latest head-coaching gig, which was also in 2014, was with the Cavaliers.

Lakers interested in Snyder, interviewing Ham

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers have requested to interview Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for their open head coaching position. Before his current stint with the Bucks, the former NBA wing was an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks and Lakers. He was in LA for two years, from 2011 to 2013.

In addition, Marc Stein reported that the Lakers are also interested in Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, although Jazz GM Justin Zanik has made it clear that they want him to stay in Utah. Whether or not Snyder chooses to leave is yet to be seen, but the Lakers would most certainly be interested if he does.

5 under-the-radar standouts from 1st round of NBA playoffs - theScore Staff (theScore)

A golden opportunity awaits the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals - Damichael Cole (Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Will Bruce Brown finally get his big payday? - Net Income (NetsDaily)

For Jalen Brunson, the real test is yet to come - Matthew T Phillips (Mavs Moneyball)

Celtics need a hard reset after being pushed off parquet by defending champs in Game 1 - Steve Buckley (The Athletic)

Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat - 7:30 p.m. EST

With Embiid out, it will take a heroic performance from James Harden for the Sixers to walk out of Miami with a win tonight. I’m talking Houston Rockets, 60-point triple-double James Harden. And if not that, then Tyrese Maxey will have to explode. The point is, everything will have to go extremely right for the Sixers to win. Barring that, however, the Heat should be able to take care of business.

Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns - 10:00 p.m. EST

Since before the playoffs even started, my hot take has been that the Mavs will come out of the West. With the Warriors looking as hot as they’ve been, that will be a challenge, but I think Dallas' first statement will be to steal Game 1 against the Suns. My prediction is a Luka Doncic Master Class and a Mavericks win.

So, the NBA earned a 50 percent on games last night. If they were shooting threes, that’s amazing. If they were taking a math test, that’s not ideal. Regardless, at least fans got to witness one awesome game yesterday. But as a Celtics fan, I’m still not too pleased with the result.

As always, we appreciate everyone who takes the time to read the newsletter, as well as those who join us every Thursday in our Twitter Spaces. Stay tuned in so you won’t miss the next one. It’s always a blast.

That'll be it for me. Thanks for reading. See y'all next time.

- Jack Simone

Last Trivia Answer: The answer to last week’s trivia question is the Denver Nuggets! They took the Utah Jazz to seven games after going down 3-0 in 1994 after becoming the first-ever eight seed to upset a one seed, taking down the Seattle SuperSonics. Fun fact: The eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies also took their second-round opponent to seven games after upsetting the first-seeded San Antonio Spurs in Round 1 back in 2011.

Trivia Question: The Celtics attempted 50 threes in their Game 1 loss against the Bucks. Only one other team has attempted more threes in a game during these playoffs. Who was it, and when?