MVP chants echoed through the TD Garden crowd late in overtime on Friday night. No, it wasn’t for Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown? Nope, he remains sidelined. How about that Greek “freak” who typically plays for the opposition? You know, the one who already has a few trophies up on his mantle? Think again. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game due to an ankle injury.
Instead, it was Celtics guard Dennis Schroder who was stepping to the free-throw line, putting an exclamation point on his 38-point explosion against the defending NBA champions.
“I mean, it’s great. But for me that don’t count, I need a win,” said Schroder of the MVP chants following the game, via The Athletic’s Jay King. Speaking of needing a win, the Celtics got just that against the Bucks. Riding the coattails of Schroder’s 16-of-27 shooting night, Boston knocked off Milwaukee to the tune of 122-113, capturing their fourth win over their last five games.
Schroder was seemingly brought to Boston this offseason to bring a jolt to the C’s second unit. However, with Brown nursing a hamstring injury, Schroder has been thrust into the starting lineup of late, drawing the start in three consecutive games. Clearly, Brown has taken a liking towards Schroders play, sharing praise for the German guard on Twitter shortly after Boston’s victory.
Schroder Shining With the Starters
Schroder’s outing against the Bucks was surely the highlight of his Celtics tenure thus far, as he came just three points shy of his career-high in scoring. However, the past week has been littered with strong play from the former Lakers starter. Over his last three games, Schroder has averaged 26 points per game, while shooting 51.6% from the field on 64 attempts.
“He’s finding his way. He’s brought his bench role to the starting lineup. He’s been very aggressive,” head coach Ime Udoka said of Schroder after Friday’s win. “He’s an aggressive guy. He can do both (penetrate and make nice passes), and he had a great night tonight, which we needed.”
As for Schroder, he’s still somewhat finding his footing just 12 games into his Celtics career. However, his confidence remains sky-high thanks in large part to his surrounding cast.
“Trying to get comfortable is a big key for me always when I play,” Schroder said. “My teammates are doing a great job telling me just to go, don’t think about nothing, just play. Coaches as well, front office as well. I feel very confident right now, comfortable, and looking forward to whatever comes next.”
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