The Bucks Have Supercharged the Celtics More Than Themselves

For nearly 43-ish minutes of their Wednesday loss to the Celtics, the Bucks were experiencing something of their worst nightmare. Not only was Milwaukee getting run off the floor for most of the action (trailing from anywhere from 10 to 20 points for much of the night), the Bucks were losing at the hands of a team they helped create. A late run briefly threatened Boston’s stranglehold on the game, but the Celts held on for a 119–116 win.

If Milwaukee is Dr. Frankenstein, then the Celtics are kind of like Frankenstein’s monster. That’s because the collateral damage of the Damian Lillard trade opened the door for Jrue Holiday to join the Celtics, and it has made Boston into something of an early-season juggernaut, and certainly the favorites in the East. As Giannis Antetokounmpo said in the wake of the Holiday trade, “before loyalty, winning comes first.” Boston had no problem snatching up its former rival after he was shipped to the Blazers, and so far they’ve reaped the rewards of the summer’s machinations much more so than Milwaukee.

The addition of Holiday has bolstered the Celtics, who are now 12–3.

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