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Posted at 11:30 AM EST.

Boston -4½ over Milwaukee

1:00 PM EST. What we saw in the last round was a four-game sweep by Boston over Brooklyn while the Bucks took out the Bulls in five. It may as well have been four straight for Milwaukee because the Bulls never stood a chance. The last three victories by the Bucks were of the blowout variety. At least Brooklyn put up a fight against the Celtics while the Bucks barely broke a sweat against Chicago. Those last three resonating wins by the Bucks not only stand out but we’re going to suggest that they are fool’s gold.

It’s no secret that the Bucks tanked in the regular season finale by sitting all their regulars and playing one for only eight minutes to earn him a $300,000 bonus for showing up. The reason for the tank was to avoid playing the Nets in the first round or playing the Bulls. Take your choice but it does not matter, as playing against low intensity Chicago did not prepare the Bucks well for this series while avoiding the Nets accomplished the same thing. Had Milwaukee showed up against Cleveland in the season finale, they would be hosting this game instead of having to travel. Today, we’ll find out if there was a price to pay for tanking and we’ll suggest that there is.

Unlike the Bulls, the C’s will have a game plan, a major one at that, to contain Giannis. Just like they did against KD and Kyrie, the C’s will try their damndest to make someone else beat them. That someone cannot be Khris Middleton because he’s out.

Aside from fate, the Celtics have so many more paths to victory. This team was built for this moment. They are an offensive and defensive force. Since Jan. 1, Boston is 38-12 while out-scoring opponents by 12½ points per 100 possessions. We did not see anything in Boston’s first round series or Milwaukee’s for that matter, that suggest the Bucks are ready for this moment. Tanking reveals a lack of competitiveness or something else negative that we do not recommend getting behind. The C’s have the mentality of a prize fighter who wants to fight anyone. Aside from that decent enough mental edge, the Celtics are the superior side too.