BSJ Game Report: Celtics 108, Bucks 81 - All-around hustle

It was a slow burn for the Boston Celtics on Monday night. Giannis Antetokounmporeturned for the Milwaukee Bucks, playing in his first game since January 23, and he kept his squad in the mix.

Boston's offense started off slow. Their threes weren't dropping, but once again, offensive rebounds kept them afloat. The Celtics shot just 4-of-13 (30.8%) from deep in the first quarter, but they notched nine points on five offensive rebounds.

Antetokounmpo looked like himself, forcing his way into the paint, but his energy wasn't the star of the show.

That's because Hugo Gonzalezwas on the floor.

The Celtics rookie was a blur. He dashed down the lane for offensive rebounds, helped into the paint for steals (and blocks), and was even tasked with guarding Antetokounmpo, often picking him up full-court.

By the time the first half came to a close, Gonzalez had tallied 10 points, nine rebounds (four offensive boards), one assist, three steals, and one block. He shot 4-of-9 from the field and 1-of-4 from deep.

Derrick White's upward trajectory in the shot-making department continued, too, and Payton Pritchardsnapped out of his funk after putting up a goose egg on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Even Luka Garza, who hasn't played rotational minutes in weeks, earned a chance to play with Neemias Queta out due to rest. (Jaylen Brownwas also sidelined, listed on the injury report with a non-Covid illness). In the first half, Garza grabbed three of his classic offensive rebounds in 9:12 of game time, constantly finding a way to muck the game up.

Boston's entire lineup gave them something in the first half. It was a well-rounded offensive performance and a collective effort on the defensive end, too.

As the third quarter got underway, the Bucks kept up the momentum they gained late in the second. In total, it was a 15-3 run for Milwaukee.

But the Celtics trusted their principles.

They stood their ground offensively, sticking with their pick-and-rolls and getting Nikola Vucevicinvolved.

Gonzalez kept hustling, cutting off the ball and dominating the glass, and White and Pritchard were maestros. Vucevic even got in on the fun, dishing out a ton of dimes.

But for Gonzalez especially, his impact stretched beyond the offensive end. He guarded Antetokounmpo well, though it took the effort of multiple players to truly stop the superstar.

Milwaukee made run after run. The Celtics gave up transition points and threes. But each and every time, Boston responded.

And once the final buzzer sounded, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Pritchard's 25 points led the way, but it was an all-around showing for Boston.

Big winner: This was one of Gonzalez's best games of his young career. He was all over the place.

Everything that Celtics fans have come to know and love about the rookie was on full display on Monday night. And his off-ball movement was the key to it all.

Whether it was finding space for big-time boards or cutting into space within the flow of the offense, he made sure to fill the gaps.

Ouch, tough one: Boston's responses to the Bucks' runs were impressive, but giving them up in the first place was less than ideal.

Every once in a while, the Celtics turned the ball over a couple of times or just couldn't get into the flow of their offense. This allowed the Bucks to either get out and run or have more freedom offensively.

But Boston always snapped itself out of it.

The big picture: Yet again, the Celtics escaped the doldrums of a bad offensive showing early on.

By crashing the offensive glass, staying locked in, and trusting their process, they pulled off a monster win.

And by the time the second half came around, the results matched their process, and the shots started falling.