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Bucks-Celtics Preview

Feb 24, 2016 - 8:41 PM The Boston Celtics are enjoying their longest home win streak in three seasons.

The Milwaukee Bucks' Michael Carter-Williams has yet to lose in his home state.

One of those facts will change when the Celtics start a five-game homestand Thursday night against Carter-Williams and the surging Bucks.

Boston (33-25) has won eight straight at home for its longest streak there since an 11-game run in 2012-13. The Celtics now get to enjoy their longest stretch of 2015-16 on their own court.

"I'm looking forward to it, we always want to take care of home and it's going to be good being home," guard Avery Bradley said. "We just need to get wins and I'm confident that we can do that."

Carter-Williams may be confident too since his teams are 3-0 in Boston when he plays, with the Massachusetts native averaging 14.0 points and 6.7 assists.

Milwaukee (24-33) has won four of five since O.J. Mayo and Miles Plumlee moved into the starting lineup for Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe.

"Since we made the change in the lineup, it just makes our bench that much stronger," coach Jason Kidd said. "And for them to sacrifice, everybody wants to start and those two have the right to say they should be starting but we have no bench right now."

That change started with a 112-111 home win over Boston on Feb. 9, in which Monroe had 29 points and 12 rebounds. Carter-Williams got the majority of the minutes over Mayo at point guard and had 16 points, six boards and five assists as the Bucks prevailed despite blowing a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Neither Carter-Williams nor Mayo may handle the bulk of the ballhandling duties Thursday since Kidd said after Monday's 108-101 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers that Giannis Antetokounmpo will shoulder a good part of that load after he recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

"We're letting him start the offense," Kidd said. ''We're trying to get the ball to him as quick as possible and having everybody else run."

Antetokounmpo is averaging 20.3 points while posting four straight double-doubles, and Jabari Parker is averaging 22.0 in the last three.

"The way we're starting with O.J. and Khris (Middleton), we wanna get our shooters out and let Jabari and Giannis make plays in the open court, that's what their strengths are right now, we want to take advantage of that," Kidd said.

These teams have split two meetings this season, and the Bucks have done a good job of limiting Celtics leading scorer Isaiah Thomas to an average of 17.5 points on 34.5 percent shooting. Thomas averages 21.6 points and shoots 42.2 percent.

With Thomas pushing the pace, Boston averages 101.4 possessions per 48 minutes to lead the Eastern Conference. The Celtics' defense was deficient in a 1-2 trip after the All-Star break, allowing opponents to shoot 50.9 percent.

Bradley and Thomas combined for 40 points in Monday's 124-122 loss to Minnesota that has them looking forward to turning things around at home.

"Take it one game at a time but definitely we need to take advantage of this stretch," Thomas said.