I’ll admit it. I really thought the Celtics were going to run away with this game.

It was foolish, I know. I mean, why would I think that this team could hold a 17-0 lead? Stupid, stupid. I should have known that Milwaukee would come back, because, you know, the Celtics. The only question would be whether or not Boston could hold off Milwaukee’s comeback. They could not, as it turned out.

Anyway. Here are a few bullet points.

• Paul Pierce had a bad game that will probably fly under the radar because he made a HUGE 3 to put the Celtics up late. But make no mistake: The Truth was lying his ass off tonight. He finished 6-16 from the field and 1-4 from 3-point range. Most of his attempts came off isolation plays that just aren’t extremely effective anymore. To be fair, he did, in vintage Pierce style, draw several fouls, earning eight trips to the free throw line.
• Jeff Green was really good once again tonight, shooting 8-11 for 18 points, as well as grabbing six rebounds. He looks infinitely more comfortable on offense, and he seems to be figuring out that he is most effective driving to the basket and second most effective camped out behind the 3-point arc on the baseline. It’s very strange to catch yourself thinking “Why aren’t the Celtics isolating for Jeff Green?” in the final two minutes of a close game, but the thought definitely crossed my mind.
• In the final box score, it may look like the Celtics weren’t killed by rebounding tonight, but don’t be fooled. Boston’s final tally, 43 to Milwaukee’s 42, was inflated by their first quarter success. The Celtics’ defense forced several misses in the fourth quarter only to give up easy baskets around the rim to Larry Sanders or Ersan Ilyasova.
• Actually, let’s make a pact not to say L*rry S*nders name for the rest of the recap after the damage he inflicted tonight.
• Jason Terry was sneaky bad tonight. His 15 points look pretty good until you realize that he took 17 shots to get there, including 2-9 shooting from 3-point range.
• I hate when fans blame officials for the loss of a game. It’s a really lazy way to write off a loss. That being said, Garnett got called for a foul late in the fourth, pushing, um, “Sarry Landers” in the back. Had Garnett not been called for the foul, he would have had an easy layup. Instead, Milwaukee got the ball. I’m not saying that that particular play resulted in the loss. Boston’s lackadaisical play, Sarry Landers and Milwaukee’s inspired effort after the first quarter, and incessant Pierce isos were the main culprits. But it certainly didn’t help.

That’s all for now, with plenty more to come later. Hope all of your Saturday nights improve from here.

Follow Tom on Twitter: @Tom_NBA.