November 7, 2026 at 5:15 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisCeltics Look to Fix Road Habits Against a Reshaped Bucks Team
Boston's depth and recent edge over Milwaukee should hold up in a tricky road test.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
Milwaukee hosts Boston in a very different context than the teams' last meeting. Giannis Antetokounmpo has left the Bucks, and Doc Rivers has called his style "difficult" to coach, adding that the star didn't want to be the "bad guy" in the exit. Whatever sits behind that, the Bucks have lost their franchise centerpiece, and that shapes what they can realistically sustain over 48 minutes.
Boston won the most recent matchup 109-102 at home, and it did so without Jayson Tatum, who was resting. Derrick White scored 24 and Paul George added 25 with four steals. The Celtics also blew a 22-point lead before holding on late, so the win showed both their depth and the habit they need to clean up.
That habit is the main concern in Milwaukee. Boston is 6-2 but only 1-2 on the road, has given up leads, and has drawn criticism for its fourth-quarter play. White's three-point shooting is down. The starting group is also still shifting: Neemias Queta has started the last three games at center after Mitchell Robinson started the first five, and Jordan Walsh is back among the starters even though his minutes have dropped. Payton Pritchard's right eye abrasion is worth watching too, since Scheierman and Conley would absorb minutes if he can't go. Queta has said the team wants to go further in the NBA Cup this year, which should help keep the Celtics focused early.
I expect Boston to handle most of this. George and White have already shown they can carry the offense against this opponent, and the Bucks are in an unsettled spot. Milwaukee should make the closing stretch uncomfortable, but the Celtics' talent edge decides it.
Prediction: Celtics 111, Bucks 102.