Celtics at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks started out the season with three straight loses while struggling on defensive but have turned things around while locking down on that end. The Bucks will try to pick up their fifth straight win when they host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Milwaukee allowed an average of 115.3 points in its first three games but trimmed that number to 90.3 over the last four, including a 94-86 triumph over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. “I definitely think everybody's on the same page now,” Bucks center Greg Monroe told reporters. “Everybody understands what they have to do on both sides of the floor, I think that's why the tide has kind of changed.” The Celtics are trying to change the tide as well and took a step in that direction with an impressive 118-98 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday that snapped a three-game slide. Boston got three full days off to practice and rest after that victory and hopes to have point guard Marcus Smart (toe) and forward Jae Crowder (knee) back in the starting lineup on Tuesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (2-3): Isaiah Thomas would move back to a reserve role if Smart returns, though it’s unlikely his minutes would take a hit. The point guard leads the team in scoring (22 points) and assists (6.8) in 29.2 minutes and is comfortable in either role. "I’m going to be myself and that’s be highly aggressive, make plays for not just myself but for my teammates, and go out there and control the game,” Thomas told ESPN.com. “If I’m starting or coming off the bench, I’m a point guard.”
ABOUT THE BUCKS (4-3): Milwaukee is slowly working Jabari Parker (knee) into a bigger role and played the second-year swingman on back-to-back nights over the weekend. Parker went a season-high 24 minutes in Saturday’s win and was on the floor in the fourth quarter for the first time. "I tried to give him a run of six minutes or less (each time he took the floor)," Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "We've been stretching it out and (Saturday) was the night I wanted to see him play in the fourth quarter.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Bucks G Greivis Vasquez went 0-of-10 from the field on Saturday and is shooting 22.4 percent.
2. Celtics F David Lee is shooting 33.3 percent and was limited to a season-low 13 minutes on Friday.
3. Milwaukee took two of the three meetings last season and six of the last nine.