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‘We understand what we’re up against’: Celtics need to limit Giannis Antetokounmpo as a passer

The advantage of having a true superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo — or Jayson Tatum on a normal day — is that a true superstar forces the opposing team to make a lot of uncomfortable decisions.

On Sunday, Antetokounmpo made the Celtics uncomfortable. As the Bucks pulled away in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals for a 101-89 victory, Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double — 24 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Antetokounmpo was an inefficient 9-for-25 from the field as a scorer, but his assists more than made up the difference and were enormously costly for the Celtics — so much so that they might have to shuffle some of their defensive priorities.