NBA Analyst Explains Why Celtics Will Beat No. 1 Seed Bucks In Eastern Conference Semifinals
Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics started the 2019 NBA playoffs strong, beating the Victor Oladipo-less Indiana Pacers in just four games in the first round. However, the Celtics’ capability to win the 2019 NBA championship title will finally be put to a test as they will be facing the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks, who finished the regular season with the best record, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Celtics may have a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but they will still be entering their upcoming matchup against the Bucks as the underdogs. Though the Bucks are the favorite to win, there are some people who believe that the Celtics will be the one advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. On Tuesday’s episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, which is currently posted on Twitter, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports 1 explained why the Celtics will beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Cowherd said that the Celtics have a more successful playoff experience than the Bucks, who have reached the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 NBA season. He added that the Celtics have the “best coach” and the “best closer” in the series. Cowherd added that he believes that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will be the X-factor in the Celtics’ Eastern Conference Semifinals faceoff against the Bucks.
“Kyrie Irving is kind of underrated,” Cowherd said, as quoted by NESN. “Here’s a remarkable thing. His regular season shooting is 46 percent. Playoffs, it doesn’t dip. His 3-point shooting is 35 percent in the regular season and 41 in the playoffs. That is very rare. In the playoffs, you face better opponents, better rosters, better defenses, better teams, better analytics, and better coaches. He shoots better in the playoffs. That is incredibly rare. Almost everybody’s numbers come down in the playoffs.”
I drove to New Jersey to explore Kyrie Irving’s connection with his high school. I found a deeper bond than I knew — and a story of survival.
“Without his support, we wouldn’t be here.”
MY STORY: https://t.co/l5cY4nnJws
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 25, 2019
The Celtics may have gone through lots of ups and downs during the regular season, but they aren’t a team that can be underestimated in the playoffs. After a season filled with drama and frustration, the Celtics are finally playing as a team and Irving is starting to show a better connection with his young teammates like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. It’s also worth noting that the Celtics have a deeper roster than the Bucks.
No matter what the outcome of the Bucks-Celtics series will be, it is highly unlikely that the team advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals will be unscathed. Game 1 between the Celtics and the Bucks will be on Sunday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
