Tatum and Brown mix for 70, assist Celtics demolish NBA-leading Bucks

Jayson Tatum scored 40 factors, Jaylen Brown added 30 and the Boston Celtics steamrolled the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks140-99 on Thursday night time.

The Celtics (53-24) shot 22 of 43 from 3-point vary and moved inside two video games of the Bucks (55-22) within the Jap Convention standings. The Celtics gained the season sequence with the Bucks 2-1, which might give Boston the tiebreaker if each groups end with the identical file.

Boston’s efficiency in these three video games with Milwaukee ought to give the Celtics loads of confidence they may knock out the Bucks once more in the event that they meet within the postseason. The Celtics beat the Bucks in seven video games in final season’s East semifinals.

The Celtics beat the Bucks 139-118 in Boston on Christmas Day and misplaced 131-125 in additional time on Feb. 14. The Celtics did not play Brown, Tatum, Marcus Good or Al Horford in that additional time loss.

Milwaukee took successful on the ground in addition to within the standings. Bucks ahead Khris Middleton left the sport halfway by the third quarter after taking an elbow to the face from Brown. The play resulted in a charging foul on Brown and induced Middleton to obtain stitches on his higher lip.

Boston constructed a 114-74 lead by three durations, inflicting a lot of the starters for each groups to sit down out all the fourth quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 factors.

This matched the Bucks’ most lopsided lack of the season. They fell 142-101 at Memphis on Dec. 15.

The Bucks have been enjoying one night time after a 149-136 victory at Indiana wherein they shot a season-high 62.4% from the ground with Jrue Vacation scoring 51 factors and Antetokounmpo having 38 factors, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. This marked the primary time an NBA staff had one participant rating no less than 50 factors and one other have a triple-double with no less than 35 factors in the identical sport.

Milwaukee discovered the going fairly a bit more durable Thursday.

Antetokounmpo shot simply 11 of 27, together with 0 for five from 3-point vary. Vacation began his night time by sinking a 3-pointer, however went 1 of seven the remainder of the way in which and completed with simply six factors.

After the primary 8 minutes of the sport featured 9 lead modifications and 5 ties, the Celtics seized management by occurring a 29-9 during the last seven-plus minutes. Boston capped that spurt by scoring 13 straight factors.

Boston did not let up the remainder of the night time.

Milwaukee’s Thanasis Antetokounmpo was ejected with 1:25 left for head-butting Boston’s Blake Griffin. The top-butting got here after Griffin dedicated a flagrant-1 foul in opposition to Antetokounmpo.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston outscored Milwaukee 41-21 within the second interval and matched its highest second-quarter level whole of the season. … Payton Pritchard did not play because of left heel ache.

Bucks: Middleton and Joe Ingles returned to motion after sitting out the Bucks’ victory at Indiana. Since Middleton and Ingles each returned from knee accidents earlier this season, the Bucks typically have averted enjoying them on back-to-back nights. … Meyers Leonard missed a seventh straight sport with a sore left calf.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Hosts the Utah Jazz on Friday. Of their lone earlier matchup this season, the Celtics misplaced 118-117 at Utah on March 18.

Bucks: Hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The Bucks are 1-2 in opposition to the 76ers this season, together with a 133-130 dwelling loss on March 4 that snapped Milwaukee’s 16-game successful streak.