Live game review: Milwaukee @ Boston

If you're new here, you may want to register so you can easily join our conversations. Thanks for visiting!

In Two Sides Of The Hoops continuing effort to shine the spotlight on promising rookie Brandon Jennings, today we present you, humble reader, with a running diary (strongly influenced by ESPNs The Sports Guy) of todays Milkawkee @ Boston game.

Pre-game feature on the Bucks Carlos Delfino. I’m usually against the annoying trend of broadcasters using subtitles for people who are easily understandable but this guy is completely unintelligible. It’s like interviewing Animal from the Muppets. Subtitles might have helped me gain some insight there.

First Quarter

12:00 KG looks intense. No surprise.

11:45 Nice back cut gets KG a dunk

11:30 Bogut gets a run hook in the lane. Misses.

11:15 Delfino fouls KG on a very athletic looking drive sending him to the line. Interesting to see how athletic KG looks throughout this game as the whole season rests on his shoulders.

Plot to keep an eye on - KG stealing defensive boards from Rondo, slowing down the break.

10:22 Bogut bodies Perkins perfectly, but gets shot over anyway. Isn’t that supposed to be Bogut’s offensive game?

9:54 KG fouled by Ilyasova on a back cut lob, but really doesn’t get the elevation we are used to seeing in previous years. He looks quick on the ground, but can’t get up.

9:20 Rondo on a rubbish drive hits Bogut in the chest for no call. Strange. Perhaps I saw something that everyone else didn’t. Or I’m an idiot. Likely the last option.

8:51 Rondo just dropped back an amazing pass to KG on the break. Threaded an amazing needle. Still KG laid it up rather than dunked it.

7:41 I will never understand how Paul Pierce is so effective with his herky jerky drives in super slo-mo.

6:45 Carlos Delfino is cutting through the key a lot and they are finding him. 6 points for Delfino.

6:10 Bogut draws a foul on Perkins this time. Nice initial post move. On the reset after the foul Bogut scores on a nice inside move.

5:34 Rondo is just special inside. Finding gaps that don’t exist for but all but five guards in the league.

5:20 Ersan Ilyasova can start the break and hit the three. Nice at the four in today’s game. Although he just got a dunk blocked by Ray Allen. Awkward.

4:42 Charlie Bellthy sighting! I have a soft spot for Charlie Bell since he inordinately helped my 06-07 Fantasy Team. He’s been rubbish ever since. Strange man.

4:25 Ilyasova touch pass to Bogut inside for two. I’m liking Ilyasova. He needs more publicity.

3:46 The Bucks are showing some really nice ball movement, and I’d credit Jennings influence. They didn’t have that last year. It’s certainly not Scott Skiles doing.

3:37 Another herky-jerky move inside for Pierce. He looks like House MD out there sometimes but he’s so super-effective.

3:24 I’m pretty sure Luke Ridnour should not be in the league anymore. I can smell his stench through my tv.

3:03 The bucks are going to Bogut in this first quarter. Another running hook for him.

1:58 Bogut again, this time on Rasheed... his hook is falling now.

1:20 Bogut is facing up a bit now. Another inside move and score. 12 points for Bogut.

:3 Jennings on the perimeter guarded by Brian Scalabrine. Hilarious crossovers ensue as understandably Jennings gets into the paint, scores and is fouled.

Bucks lead after 1 27-26 with Bogut leading the way.

Second Quarter

There is a fantastic lead in screen the Milwaukee broadcasters show of Bogut looking like he’s just woken up from a coma. I get that he might try and look fierce, or perhaps smile, but don’t just drool into the camera.

11:16 Brian Scalabrine should not be playing. Just fudged a bunny inside. Yes, I used the term fudged a bunny.

Side Note: Tony Allen is a very ugly man. HDTV does not do him favors.

10:53 Scalabrine fouls someone on the perimeter. Why is he getting minutes? Where is Sheldon Williams?

Now we have a stoppage in play for an official having something in his eye. Haven’t seen that before.

10:53 Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine now team up to turn the ball over uncontested. The Celts sure have some rubbish in their rotation.

Sheldon Williams now in. Thank God. I never thought I’d wish for Sheldon to enter a game.

Oh, Scal still in the game. Fark. Scal, Sheed and Sheldon all playing. Pierce at the two. This is a sloppy line up.

9:20 Sheed makes a token effort to get post position. Then moves out to the perimeter.

8:41 Rasheed Wallace hits a three, where he is clearly more comfortable.

8:22 Brandon Jennings elevates for a nice move. +1 kudos. It was over Scalabrine. -1 kudos.

Side Note: Jennings taking over as the focus of the Bucks offense in the second quarter, building on the good work inside from Bogut in the first.

Scott Skiles sure looks like that guy from the Shield. Michael Chiklis.

5:41 Another herky jerky Pierce move. Great bit of commentary heard “Pierce stripped on a foul.”.. umm, what? Score is now Milwaukee 33, Boston 34 after the free throws.

5:34 Eddie House really takes pride in defence now.

5:21 Jennings can get inside whenever he wants as this time he scores over KG.

5:00 Hey Bucks, perhaps don’t leave Eddie House completely alone at the top of the key.

4:32 Ilyasova just showed some real aggression and strength in a fight for a defensive board against the bigger Kendrick Perkins. Ends up with the ball and a foul against Perkins. Impressive.

Side note: Missed nearly 30 seconds of game time there (about 5 mins in real time) hopping around to get to, then plugin my laptops external power. Here's a 2soth top-tip - "Don’t rupture your achillies tendon."

3:13 Bogut rebounding well. 7 so far.

3:01 Bogut turns it over with an iffy inside pass to Ilyasova which leads to a fast break layup for Ray Allen.

2:12 Rondo is very very good with hesitation as he drives to freeze his man and get the screener open. Perkins scores.

Between Jennings and Rondo, Rajon has the bigger impact on the game so far. Easily.

1:25 KG hits the loooong 2. He really has a very pretty jumper. It looks so lazy, but you count it as its left his hands.

1:03 Crazy continuation all for Luc Richard Mah a Moute... obviously fouled by KG but then a full second after the foul he makes his move and scores. Umm... read a rule book.

:45 Perkins from Rondo again. Those two getting some offensive chemistry.

:27 Bogut finds Delfino fo a three. Bogut leading this Bucks team as they take it to the big bad Celtics so far. Milwaukee 46 Boston 47.

:16 KG drives inside, Bogut with a strong foul. Ilyasova ends up on his butt, and no Buck helps him up. Something to keep an eye on is chemistry on a Scott Skiles team.

:1.5 Brandon Jennings with a beautiful floater to end the half on the tail end of some fantastic ball movement by the Bucks. Perhaps there is no problem with their chemistry.

Half Time Notes

Bucks: Stop giving cheapies inside,keep moving the ball.

Celts: Drive to the centre of the court, keep up the interior passing.

Third Quarter

10:54 A nice interior pass from Pierce to Perkins.

10:35 Rondo harassing Jennings on the perimeter knocks the ball out of court.

10:00 Ilyasova defends KG in the post very nicely. Impressive.

9:45 Bogut works against KG for a offensive rebound and gets the ball and shot to fall. Now has a double double.

7:00 Celts have an 8 point lead as the Celtics start to apply some pressure. Imposing their will on offense.

6:12 Too much passing from the Bucks this time ends in travelling by Charlie Bell.

Rondo check - 8 rebounds, 10 assists, zero points for Rajon.

4:59 Bogut just let fly a horrid shot and hit it. A looong turnaround over Perkins from the elbow. Probably not percentage, but tonight its money.

4:05 The Bucks are realising that Bogut is their best option to match the Celts offensively tonight. That trip he gets it stripped in the post by Perkins and its Celts ball, out off Bogut. They can’t all be winners can they Andrew.

3:45 Ilyasova bodies Garnett and it looks like great defence until KG just hits a crazy fade away like it was nothing. KG is just too good.

3:23 Scott Skiles gets a tech for trying to defend Luke Ridnour who is down with a pretty injured elbow. On the slow mo it got seriously bent the wrong way. Ouch. Meanwhile KG is on the floor kicking people for no call. Strange passage of play.

Side note: At what point did it become okay to steal jump balls before the ball reaches its apex. It’s gone undiscussed for years. I don’t like it.

1:54 Pretty teardrop by Jennings.

:46 Ilyasova saves the ball from and over and back with a fantastic hustle play then beats a two on one by himself with a nice defensive charge taken.

:06 Scalabrine just runs over Jennings way outside 3 line a linebacker. Foul to give. I don’t mind that play. Rough up the rook and use the bloodnut to do it. Lack of respect from a ginger just hurts. That’s rookie hazing at its finest.

:00 Delfino rattles in a runner to tie the game at the third quarter buzzer

Fourth Quarter

11:22 Rasheed Wallace is a smart defender, poking the ball away from Hakim Warrick.

9:45 Rasheed Wallace hits a three. That may well break the Bucks back. Milwaukee will need to show some backbone here.

8:57 Jennings makes a circus shot. Again over Scalabrine. Sorry young Buck, but doesn’t have the same kudos as it would otherwise. Haha.

Looks like Luke Ridnour is back on the bench after having his arm reattached.

8:24 Rasheed hits another three.

7:54 Jennings just turned Rondo inside out on the perimeter but did nothing with the penetration.

7:48 Funny passage of play as Jennings hits a floater, and Scalabrine fouls the screener (Bogut) who then gets sent to the line for one shot. I’m confused.

7:20 Jennings with a nice move gets hit by Sheed and goes to the line to hit two.

7:00 5 fouls on Jennings as Rondo shoots and gets a lucky tend from Hakim Warrick. Rondo obviously misses the ensuing  free throw as he shoots just 41 percent. Yuk.

5:08 Bogut just a warrior on the offensive boards tonight.

5:02 Bogut scores in the inside hook. 23 points 13 rebounds for Bogut.

5:22 Bogut just hit a left handed finger roll from about 8 feet with Perkins reaching for the ball. Pretty.

4:50 Pretty inside pass from Delfino to Ilyasova for 2.

4:42 Rondo to the line again (6^th time this quarter). Is this intentional, or a by-product of him being aggressive in the lane?

3:51 Any time the clock gets under 10 seconds for the Bucks it’s Jennings time. This time it ends in a double dribble. He is showing his age in this game along with his prodigious talent.

2:51 Bogut working the high post turns the ball over carelessly. Bucks cannot afford that.

2:30 Garnett uses the resulting possession to go inside for the first time since early in the game and scores.

Side note: The Bucks really need to redesign those unis. They are awful.

Celts by 5, 93, 88

2:00 Ray Allen hits a massive three from deep. 8 point game makes it tough for the Bucks.

1:48 Ilyasova is a beast on the glass. Why doesn’t he average more rebounds per game? He’s now at the line shooting two after an offensive rebound and put back puts him there with a foul from Perkins.

1:18 Ilyasova misses a easy three, Perkins mans down the rebound which seals this game.

1:03 Timeout Scott Skiles. He wants to discuss dinner plans.

I don’t think Bogut is good enough to manufacture a win here, and Jennings is still too raw. Hasn’t show a lot tonight to be honest, but the raw talent is definitely there. With polish he’ll be special.

1:00 Jennings misses a long three. Silly play young man.

:38 Garnett hits a long two on a nice kick out by Piece on penetration. Scott Skiles calls a twenty to discuss changing restaurants. He may have a restaurant guide to Boston in his hands as they huddle up. Not confirmed.

:20 Paul Pierce winding the clock down after getting a defensive rebound.

Game over

In a non-surprising result where the Celts really didn't put the pedal down at any stage and still won, the player of the game for me is Andrew Bogut, and the player who was most surprising is easily Ersan Ilyasova. His diverse inside-out game and strong defence and rebounding bode well for Milwaukee.