"Beat them by double digits. GUARANTEED!": Shaquille O'Neal drops the hammer on tonight's marquee matchup Bucks vs Celtics

Shaquille O'Neal and the crew of Inside the NBA are covering the marquee matchup between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. Boston is coming off a lung-busting 127-120 win in overtime over the Minnesota Timberwolves less than 24 hours ago. They are on the road taking on the well-rested but struggling Bucks.

Charles Barkley, over the past few weeks, has been emphasizing how Milwaukee’s poor defense has caused them games. The Bucks are 1-4 in their last five games and were drubbed at home by the lowly Utah Jazz 132-116 on Monday. They will be tested by the Celtics who own the best record (29-8) in the entire NBA.

As Barkley was about to start his worry about the Bucks defense, Shaquille O’Neal cut him off:

“The Bucks are gonna beat the Celtics tonight. They’re gonna beat ‘em by double digits. GUARANTEED!”

After the first quarter, O’Neal’s prediction could become a reality after the game. Milwaukee is up 41-23 behind the hot hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. The two-time MVP already has nine points, four rebounds and two assists. Lillard has 10 points, three assists and two rebounds. Bobby Portis has been the X-factor. He has 14 points in just eight minutes.

Antetokounmpo, after a 112-108 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday, expressed his frustrations to the media. He told reporters that everyone on the Bucks has to get better, including even the equipment manager. The following game, they were beaten by the Jazz.

If they overlooked the Utah Jazz, Shaquille O'Neal and the crew of Inside the NBA should have already seen that they’re laser-focused against the Celtics. Boston is playing the second night of a back-to-back and looked lethargic right off the bat. The Bucks are maximizing that advantage to start the game.

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Shaquille O'Neal believes the Bucks defense will hold up when necessary

Over the last few weeks, Shaquille O'Neal has mentioned that the Milwaukee Bucks defense has to make timely stops. Charles Barkley opposed it saying that they can’t make “timely stops” if they don’t make defense a habit.

After a big first quarter, Shaq better be right or it will be an embarrassing loss for the Bucks. Jayson Tatum had 45 points in the win over the Utah Jazz. He scored 14 of them in the fourth and 12 in overtime. He looks gassed early in the first 12 minutes versus the Bucks. He has scored four points on 1-4 shooting.

The second quarter is just about to start. There’s plenty of basketball left to be played. The well-rested Bucks should take care of business if Shaquille O'Neal’s guarantee is to come true.