The Boston Celtics got a close win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-105. It was a back-and-forth game with an atmosphere that felt bigger than most regular season games. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, while Jaylen Brown scored 25. Damian Lillard scored 31 and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 for the Bucks. This was also the regular season debut for Khris Middleton, who returned to the Bucks lineup. The Celtics improved to 19-4 with the win, while the Bucks dropped to 11-11.
A Close First Half
After missing their last game, Jayson Tatum looked back in form for the Boston Celtics, drilling a couple of three-pointers early. Jaylen Brown also got his share of buckets, starting 4-of-4 from the field, but the game remained close. Middleton scored his first points of the season on a four-point play, cutting into a Boston lead. An 8-0 Milwaukee run kept the game neck and neck. Brown led the Celtics with 12 first-quarter points. Jrue Holiday had 8 and Tatum had 6. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the driving forces for the Bucks, scoring 8 points apiece. Middleton had 6 points off the bench. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 29-27.
In the second quarter, Tatum and Lillard went back and forth. Tatum got to the rim, drawing fouls and throwing down dunks. He also had a few nice passes, including one where he threaded the needle for a Queta dunk. Meanwhile, Lillard’s jump shot was still hot, and he took advantage of mismatches to score. Sam Hauser got a few buckets off the bench for Boston, scoring 7 points on 3-of-6 shooting, but the Boston Celtics did not hit a three-pointer for the entire second quarter. Despite this, the game remained tight until the Bucks took the lead. At halftime, the Milwaukee Bucks led 57-53.
In the first half, the Bucks dominated the glass, outrebounding the Celtics 28-22. Bobby Portis had 13 rebounds in just the first half. Lillard had 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Antetokounmpo had 14. Brown and Tatum led the Boston Celtics, scoring a combined 34 points in the first half. Brown had 18, while Tatum had 16. The Celtics cold spell from beyond the arc let the Bucks take the lead into halftime, but it was still anyone’s game.
Celtics Finish Strong
The third quarter kicked off with a heated exchange between Antetokounmpo and Brown. They got physical with each other in their last meeting, which continued here, with Brown picking up a technical foul. The Boston Celtics’ shooting struggles continued, but Al Horford and Holiday got a couple of three-pointers to fall. The Celtics got back out front on a 9-2 run, and both teams traded the lead from there. Lillard and Antetokounmpo lit up the scoreboard for Milwaukee, giving the Bucks a bit of cushion. Antetokounmpo scored 11 points in the third quarter, and the Boston Celtics trailed 82-78 heading into the fourth.
Tatum got things rolling for the Celtics in the fourth quarter, hitting back-to-back threes, one of them being a four-point play. Both teams traded baskets from there until a three from Gary Trent Jr. put the Bucks up 95-92. A few Tatum buckets and assists gave the Boston Celtics a 100-99 lead with 4:17 remaining.
A Lillard dunk then put Milwaukee back in front. A few possessions later, a three from Horford put Boston up 105-101 with a minute and a half to go. An Antetokounmpo free throw made it a three-point game, but a Holiday floater coming off a sweet Tatum pass put the Celtics up by five. Three Middleton free throws brought it back to a two-point game, but the Boston Celtics made their free throws and held on for a 111-105 win.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 19-4 with the win. They will sweep the Milwaukee Bucks in the season series, 3-0. Tatum scored 34 points with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Brown scored 25 points and Holiday scored 20. Hauser had 16 points off the bench. The Milwaukee Bucks fell to 11-11 with the loss. Lillard led the Bucks with 31 points and Antetokounmpo was not far behind with 30 points. Middleton scored 11 in his first game back. It was an intense game that had a playoff environment at times, but the Boston Celtics came out on top.
