During the Celtics’ two-day respite after beating the Rockets and Mavericks back-to-back, the top of the Eastern Conference got a makeover. In Milwaukee, former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers replaces former Celtic Adrian Griffin after he led the Bucks to a 30-13 record with the league’s second most efficient offense.
They flexed that firepower in a 135-102 blowout of Boston two weeks ago, but the Bucks are still 3.5 games behind the Celtics and management did not exactly consider themselves on a championship path. The Celtics, on the other hand, have been humming through the regular season with little reported drama and it’s human nature to compare your progress with your competitors’.