The Boston Celtics returned to the TD Garden after a two-game road trip to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-108. Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, and Payton Pritchard had a hot night with eight three-pointers off the bench, tying a Celtics franchise record. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard led the way for the Bucks, scoring 63 combined points. It was a physical, competitive game until the Boston Celtics pulled away for the win, advancing to 4-0 while Milwaukee fell to 1-3.
A Tight First Half
The Boston Celtics got off to a cold start and were 0-of-7 in the game’s opening minutes. But luckily, the Milwaukee Bucks came out dry as well, and the game stayed close. Derrick White was the player to finally ignite the Celtics offense, scoring their first seven points. Payton Pritchard was also effective off the bench with eight first quarter points on 3-of-4 shooting. For the Bucks, Damian Lillard had the hot hand, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo also contributed with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair as both teams took time to find their shots. When the shots began to fall for both sides, the defense was still physical, forcing turnovers on both sides. This was not the high-scoring start that has been common in Celtics games this season. The Bucks took a 29-28 lead with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Gary Trent Jr. to end the quarter. This was the first time this season the Boston Celtics did not lead after the first quarter.
Payton Pritchard continued to let it rain in the second quarter with multiple deep three-pointers. Pritchard was a main source of offense for the Celtics, leading the team with 19 points, shooting 5-of-8 from three. But the Bucks still held onto the lead. Milwaukee relied on Brook Lopez, who had 10 first half points. The Boston Celtics were putting Al Horford on Giannis Antetokounmpo, leaving Lopez on smaller defenders, where he could convert easy baskets in the paint. The duo of Antetokounmpo and Lillard continued to play well, and the Bucks led 56-53 at halftime.
The Boston Celtics Pull Ahead
In the third quarter, the competitive battle continued. Both teams traded momentum and the lead. It was not the typical Boston Celtics game of abundant three-pointers, but physical basketball. Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for their teams in the third quarter. After a quiet first half, Brown ended the third quarter with 21 points. Both teams were deadlocked until Derrick White hit back-to-back threes, followed by a Jordan Walsh tip-in to build a Boston lead. Then TD Garden erupted at the end of the third when Pritchard drained a step-back three to end the third quarter. The Boston Celtics led 90-82.
Boston extended their lead in the fourth quarter off more dominance from Brown and Pritchard. Pritchard was on fire all game with 28 points off the bench, shooting 8-of-12 from three. Jrue Holiday also had a big second half for the Celtics with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting. But Jaylen Brown led the team, sparking the takeover in the second half with 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting. With good defense leading to good offense, the Boston Celtics carried their third quarter momentum to build their lead and pull away for the 119-108 victory.
For the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard and Antetokounmpo carried most of the scoring load. Damian Lillard scored 33 points, shooting 7-of-15 with seven assists. He spent significant time at the free throw line, where he went 17-of-18. Meanwhile, Giannis scored 30 points with 10 rebounds.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improve to 4-0 with this win, while the Milwaukee Bucks drop to 1-3. Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Jrue Holiday were the biggest scorers for Boston as they took the lead in the third quarter and pulled away. Jayson Tatum had a quiet night scoring, with 15 points, shooting 6-of-16 and 1-of-8 from three. But he still contributed, with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and played solid defense on Brook Lopez. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were effective for the Bucks, but it was not enough in this game.
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