Bucks vs. Celtics Playoffs Comparison: Summary and Year by Year

Here you can compare, side by side, the all-time postseason performance of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, and how far these two NBA teams advanced in Playoffs each year.

The Milwaukee Bucks have been present in the NBA Playoffs 37 times in 57 seasons while the Boston Celtics did it 62 times in their 79 seasons. Between the two they total 20 of the 78 NBA championships (25.6%).

They have faced each other in 8 playoff series, 2 of them won by the Bucks and 6 by the Celtics.

On this page, after a summary of their Playoff history (with championships won, playoff appearances and all-time records), you can see, side by side, how far the Bucks and the Celtics advanced in the postseason each year. Also, if they met that year, a note with details of the outcome of the series.

Summary of Their Playoff History
	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
Playoff Appearances:	37 (64.9%)	62 (78.5%)
Playoffs Missed:	20 (35.1%)	17 (21.5%)
NBA Titles:	2	18
Finals Lost:	1	5
All-time Playoff Record:	153 wins 164 losses (.483)	429 wins 320 losses (.573)
Total NBA Seasons:	57 1968-69 to present	79 1946-47 to present

Teams Comparison Playoff Performances Year by Year
Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
2025	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
2024	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	NBA Champions
2023	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
2022	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost NBA Finals
	* The Celtics defeated the Bucks 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
2021	NBA Champions	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round
2020	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference Finals

Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
2009	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
2008	DNQ	NBA Champions
2007	DNQ	DNQ
2006	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	DNQ
2005	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round
2004	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round
2003	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
2002	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
2001	Lost Eastern Conference Finals	DNQ
2000	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	DNQ

Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
1989	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round
1988	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1987	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost NBA Finals
	* The Celtics defeated the Bucks 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
1986	Lost Eastern Conference Finals	NBA Champions
	* The Celtics defeated the Bucks 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1985	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost NBA Finals
1984	Lost Eastern Conference Finals	NBA Champions
	* The Celtics defeated the Bucks 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1983	Lost Eastern Conference Finals	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
	* The Bucks defeated the Celtics 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
1982	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1981	Lost Eastern Conference Semis	NBA Champions
1980	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference Finals

Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
1979	DNQ	DNQ
1978	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
1977	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
1976	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	NBA Champions
1975	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1974	Lost NBA Finals	NBA Champions
	* The Celtics defeated the Bucks 4-3 in the Finals.
1973	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1972	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1971	NBA Champions	DNQ
1970	Lost Eastern Division Finals	DNQ

Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
1969	DNQ	NBA Champions
1968	-	NBA Champions
1967	-	Lost Eastern Division Finals
1966	-	NBA Champions
1965	-	NBA Champions
1964	-	NBA Champions
1963	-	NBA Champions
1962	-	NBA Champions
1961	-	NBA Champions
1960	-	NBA Champions

Playoffs	Milwaukee Bucks	Boston Celtics
1959	-	NBA Champions
1958	-	Lost NBA Finals
1957	-	NBA Champions
1956	-	Lost Eastern Division Semis
1955	-	Lost Eastern Division Finals
1954	-	Lost Eastern Division Finals
1953	-	Lost Eastern Division Finals
1952	-	Lost Eastern Division Semis
1951	-	Lost Eastern Division Semis
1950	-	DNQ