The Celtics went down 1-0 in the series over the weekend in an 89 point effort on 33.3% shooting. I think their offense bounces back, and I like Jayson Tatum to lead the charge.Â
Tatum shot on average with his team at 6-18, but I am encouraged by his 18 attempts from the field, 9 three pointers he attempted, and the 8 free throws he shot. He shot poorly from the field, and only hit 5 of 8 free throws, uncharastic for someone who shot 85.3% from the line this season. The Bucks did a great job making the Celtics uncomfortable in the paint and forced everything out behind the arc. While I think the Bucks defense will look to do the same, I trust the Celtics to find better looks inside the arc. That will start with Tatum who is one of the league's best at creating his own looks.Â
Down early in the series, I expect Tatum to be aggressive in this one and hit a points line he has gotten to 3 of the 5 playoff games he has played in this postseason. He is playing nearly the entire game at 41.4 minutes and done a great job getting to the line this postseason with 9.2 attempts per game, so he will have the volume and should steal 7-10 points from free throws. After his worst game in round 1, Tatum responded with 39 points on 29 shots, so the last thing I expect from him tonight is to be shy. I like him to go over his 28.5 point mark against a Bucks defense who allowed the 8th most points to SF this season.Â
