Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Game 7: Three keys to watch for

“Good old Game 7. Beautiful.”

That was how Giannis Antetokounmpo described the final step in what has been “the real NBA Finals” — the highest level of play in the second round, with two evenly matched teams in an intense and physical series. The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Boston Celtics has been must-watch basketball. Maybe Miami or Phoenix or another team still alive can rise to the level of these teams when challenged, but nobody has done it yet. This has been brilliant basketball.

Game 7 Sunday in Boston — 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC — will be a barnburner. Here are three things to watch for that will likely determine who advances and who is sent to an early vacation.

The Bucks have struggled all series with their halfcourt offense going against the long and high IQ Boston defense (even without Robert Williams). Milwaukee has an 84.4 offensive rating in the halfcourt this series, the worst of any team in the second round of the playoffs and 10 points below their regular season average. This is where they miss Khris Middleton (who is not expected to play in Game 7 due to his sprained knee).

The Bucks have thrived when they can get stops and run — particularly when they force turnovers. In Game 6, the Celtics had four turnovers in the first quarter, but then just four more the entire rest of the game and Boston won by as comfortable a margin as anyone is going to in this series.

If Antetokounmpo is out in open space, getting downhill early in the clock and Euro-stepping to the rim, he is unstoppable. On the other hand, if the Celtics can slow the pace of the game down and turn it into a grinding halfcourt contest, things bend to their favor. Which team can control the pace of the game will determine a lot.