Celtics legend Al Horford keys Boston’s Game 7 win over the Bucks: 3 takeaways

The Celtics got a huge game from Al Horford to help them close out the Bucks in Game 7.

The Celtics were ready for Game 7 and they jumped on the Bucks, closing the first quarter on a 20-2 run keyed by Jayson Tatum. Milwaukee battled back in the second quarter but a fiery third quarter, in which the Celtics shot 13-of-18 from the field, helped Boston rebuild their lead.

The Bucks looked increasingly out of sorts in the fourth quarter as they scrambled to find any recipe which could help them get back in the game. Incredibly, a Jason Terry-Shabazz Muhammad backcourt was not the answer and they never really threatened.

Boston closed out the series and will take on the Philadelphia 76ers for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup Monday night.

Takeaways

Al Horford’s big night. This entire series should end any conversation about Horford’s relative importance to the Celtics. He was terrific all series long and tonight was the cherry on top of the ultra-efficient sundae. Horford finished with 26 points and eight rebounds on 13-of-17 from the field. His shooting helped drive the Celtics in the crucial third quarter and his defense was, as usual, the unifying element for his talented teammates. Terry Rozier put on a shooting show to close it out, but it was Horford’s all-around excellence that built the lead in the first place.

Semi Ojeleye’s defense. All of Boston’s defenders, from Marcus Smart to Aaron Baynes, did a fantastic job on Giannis Antetokounmpo in this game, but Semi Ojeleye deserves a special share of the credit. Coming into this game, he had defended Giannis on 99 possessions, on which Giannis had scored 8.0 points per 100 possessions less than his season average. The Bucks, as a team, had scored 7.7 points per 100 possessions less than their season average when Ojeleye was defending Giannis. He was terrific again this evening, helping hold Giannis to just 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The rookie really had just one job in this series and he did it to perfection.

Next: The 76ers are getting a huge boost from their role players

Giannis could have used some help. It’s crazy to think back to when the Bucks acquired Eric Bledose early in the season, and how much of a power move that appeared to be at the time. With him on the roster, Tony Snell and Thon Maker settling into their roles, Malcolm Brogdon back for his second season and Jabari Parker returning in February, Milwaukee looked deeper than they’d ever been. For the series, everyone besides Giannis and Khris Middleton shot a combined 43.8 percent from the field and 30.4 percent on 3-pointers. There were some strange lineup and strategic decisions by Joe Prunty, but they were forced, in part, by the scramble to find anyone who could make shots. It looks like it’s back to the drawing board.