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On paper, this looked like a bad matchup for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Offensively, they played right into Milwaukee's hands in Game 1. Those numbers don't have to be even, but they have to be closer for Boston to have a chance. Milwaukee scored 21 more points off turnovers and 14 more points in the paint than Boston. The defense is too good to expect to rely solely on 3s. But you cannot win playoff-level basketball games without getting easy points. They aren't excessively reliant on getting to the basket. The Celtics typically have a fairly balanced shot diet.

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The Celtics barely even attempted mid-range shots, and unsurprisingly, lost both the free throw and rebounding battles. That's the second-fewest ever in a playoff game, trailing only the 2017 Houston Rockets when they were eliminated by the Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs in Game 6 of the second round. In the entire game, they made just 10 2-point shots. But by forcing them to take 50 of them, the Celtics scored virtually no easy points. Boston made 18 3s, a figure that will normally win practically any game. Milwaukee's strategy worked to perfection. Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez occupied the front court. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played center for much of the season, started at small forward. Rather than follow the typical playoff model of downsizing, the Bucks went in the other direction and played big. We knew that was their game plan from the moment they announced their starting lineup. The Bucks protect the basket even if it sacrifices shots from behind the arc. That's the gambit of dogmatic drop coverage. Bucks opponents took 40.6 3s per game in the regular season, and the gap between them and the second-place Thunder (at 38.7 per game) was bigger than the gap between those same Thunder and the seventh-place Knicks (37).

Milwaukee's defense is designed to give up 3s. Here are three takeaways from Milwaukee's win: 1. With Khris Middleton expected to miss the entire series, the Bucks still have a long way to go, but they took a big first step on Sunday by stealing home-court advantage.

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The defending champions entered the series against Boston as underdogs. It suffered a scare when Marcus Smart left late in the second quarter with a shoulder stinger, but returned to what was a very physical contest. The team finished 28 for 84 shooting (33 percent) in the loss, including just 10 2-point field goals. Boston's offense, meanwhile, struggled miserably in the opener. Milwaukee held strong during a long stretch in the third when Giannis went to the bench with four fouls. The Celtics led early, but the Bucks soon took control and didn't let up. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with a 24-point, 13-rebound, 12-assist triple-double as the Bucks steal home court away from Boston at TD Garden. The Milwaukee Bucks strike first in their Eastern Conference semifinal showdown against the Boston Celtics with an impressive 101-89 road win in Game 1.

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