Getty Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics.
After Al Horford’s buzzer-beating tip-in was discounted, the Boston Celtics fell into a hole 1-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks heading into Game 4. Giannis Antetokounmpo bounced back to lead the Bucks to victory in Game 3, and the Celtics didn’t get much help from their superstar forward, Jayson Tatum.
Despite the first two games being blowouts, this has been an intense series thus far. Both teams are playing a very physical game of basketball. Things have gotten so physical that fans of both teams have been relentlessly complaining about the referees.
Most major outlets predicted this series to finish in six or seven games. In articles from Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and Bleacher Report, 24 different NBA analysts and experts were surveyed. None of them predicted the series would finish in less than six games.
That alone should speak volumes about how close this matchup was predicted to be and has been so far. However, one player very close to the Celtics organization made his prediction, and it’s one that Boston fans should note.
Celtics Legend Makes Series Prediction
On the May 7 edition of KG Certified by Showtime, Celtics legend Kevin Garnett spoke with retired NBA player Matt Barnes. During the show, Garnett made his prediction for Boston’s current series against Milwaukee, saying that he sees it going seven games:
That’s a tough call. I got Boston in seven, too.
Both Garnett and Barnes chose the Celtics to win the series in seven games. However, Barnes also noted that the Bucks have “been the enforcer” so far and that “there’ll be adjustments” from both sides as the series goes on.
Now, this episode was recorded after Boston’s Game 1 loss to the Bucks, but the sentiment stands. Garnett’s love for the city of Boston is well-documented, so it’s not surprising to see him predict a Celtics victory. However, the fact that he predicted them to win in seven says a lot about the Bucks’ competitiveness.
Garnett also mentioned a couple of areas where the Celtics needed to improve after Game 1.
Garnett’s Suggestions for Celtics
The Hall-of-Famer stated that he wasn’t a fan of Boston’s shot selection in Game 1, noting the number of threes they attempted. He also called out Celtics star Jayson Tatum for not being aggressive enough:
I thought the C’s laid on the three a little bit too much. They took her out, man. They hung out too long with her man… I didn’t feel like Jayson Tatum got to the cup. I didn’t feel like he got to the free-throw line.
Boston attempted 50 threes in their Game 1 loss, connecting on only 18 of them. They only recorded 10 made two-pointers in the loss. However, they have since found a better balance. In Game 2, they shot 43 threes, and in Game 3, they shot 36.
That being said, Garnett’s note about Tatum has remained true. In Boston’s Game 3 loss, Tatum only attempted three free throws on the game. He finished 4-of-19 from the field, notching only 10 points in a game the Celtics lost by two.
Garnett’s prediction of a seven-game series could still come true, but Boston now faces an uphill battle. A win on Monday in Game 4 would see them reclaim home-court advantage, and if they can’t pull that off, they’d be heading back to Boston down 3-1.
Source: Heavy
