Number 1: Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics finished the regular season one game back of the Bucks. They will play as the Eastern Confidence’s number two seed, and a potential matchup with the Bucks would happen in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Bucks in a highly contested semifinal round last year that went to seven games.
Not much has changed for the Celtics from last season. The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will be a challenge for any playoff team this year, including the Bucks. However, the Bucks are a better team than the one a year ago, with Khris Middleton healthy. Even so, the Bucks struggled against the Celtics in the regular season. The Celtics won two of their three-game matchups. The Bucks’ lone win against Boston was by six points in February. The Bucks’ two losses to the Celtics ended in blowouts, where they lost by a combined 62 points.
One question for the Celtics in a potential Eastern Conference matchup: who guards Giannis?