NBA 2018-19: 3 reasons why Boston Celtics might beat Milwaukee Bucks in Round 2

In the three games that these teams played against each other in the regular season, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 or more in each while Kyrie Irving averaged almost 22 points per game.

Led by a couple of quality All-Stars, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics have no shortage of proven talent. While Milwaukee recorded a league-best win-loss this season, Boston are the reigning Eastern Conference finalists from last year.

The kinds of seasons their respective leading scorers have had so far might be different but we know that postseason is a place where you have to build from scratch. The Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round to book a place in the East semis, while Milwaukee got rid of the Griffin-less Detroit Pistons with ease.

Ever since the Bucks-Celtics series has been made official, expectations of the Bucks prevailing over the Celtics have been doing the rounds. But here, we focus on a rather unpopular notion, looking at three reasons why Boston might edge the Bucks.

#1 The apparent glitches in their team chemistry are behind them

The Bucks will challenge the Celtics mentally and physically

The Celtics did not have a smooth ride throughout the grueling 82-game long regular season. While many penciled them in as a top two seed (at the very least) in the East, they could barely manage to grab a respectable fourth spot before time ran out on them.

Marred by internal feuds and differences among prominent names on the team, the 2018-19 season has been a hell of bumpy ride for Brad Stevens' men. However, none of that matters now.

They've kicked off their postseason campaign with a series sweep of the Pacers, and after a long time normalcy seems to have descended in the Celtics' locker room.

Assuming they can conjure a concerted effort - which has been a major issue all year - to keep things moving smoothly on and off the court, there seems to be no argument persuasive enough for them to not have a great chance of reaching the Finals, let alone not beating the Bucks.

#2 Playoff-mode Kyrie Irving is a whole different animal to deal with

Kyrie Irving missed the playoffs last year due to knee surgery.

Kyrie Irving is as competitive and hungry as they come. He missed the opportunity to help Boston Celtics in the postseason last year, but we have every reason to believe Uncle Drew is ready to step up this year around.

Of all the players who have played a minimum of 50 games, Irving has the highest playoff winning percentage of 76.4%. That shows how dangerous a customer he can be in the post-season.

He averaged 22.5 PPG and 7.8 APG in four games against Indiana and looks sharp as ever to make up for lost time.

"Honestly, I’m not really paying attention to who was the top team in the conference during the regular season," Irving said after Game 4. "Those wins are racked up already. Those are pretty set. At this point it’s really about who can beat the team in a seven-game series. It’s a reset button. We know what to expect."

#3 No other team in the conference has as much talent up and down the roster

Celtics lost in the ECF to LeBron's Cavs last year.

In the Eastern Conference Finals last season, with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward sidelined, the fairly young and 'playoff-inexperienced' Boston team went as far as Game 7 before bowing out to the greatness of LeBron James.

Having incorporated their veterans in full capacity this season, some experts were projecting an NBA Finals berth for the ultra talented Celtics roster. But with the perennial inconsistency in the C's camp, nobody actually knows what to expect from this team as a whole going forward.

However, what we do know is that when this cerebral side run by a high-IQ coach in Brad Stevens and a high-quality gifted baller in Kyrie Irving is running on all cylinders, there seems to be no team in the East that comes close.

In terms of all-round talent, only the Warriors stack up against Boston. And history is proof that the Celtics can handle the defending champs with utmost poise and maturity.