The Boston Celtics (9-2) gritted out another tough win against the struggling Milwaukee Bucks (2-8) on November 11.
Boston trailed by as much as 17 in the first half but they turned it around in the second, to beat the Bucks 113-107, sending them in the bottom of the standings.
Jayson Tatum led the charge, dropping 31 points, marking the seventh-time in the season that he scored 31 or more. He also made his impact felt across the entire floor, finishing with 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Derrick White had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Jaylen Brown boosted his team with 14 points in his return. But Payton Pritchard, was the key factor, scoring 17 of his 18 points in the first half allowing them to stay in the game.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo erupted on a massive 43-point outburst complete with 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks shouldering the load alone while Damian Lillard remained in a slump, managing just 14 points on a brutal 1-of-8 shooting from three.
Antetokounmpo Made a Statement but Celtics Prevailed
The Bucks came out firing, hitting all 4 of their three-point attempts to race to a 16-2 advantage. The Celtics kept in pace with a balance attack but Antetokounmpo took over. He singlehandedly terrorized the Celtics with 19 points in just one quarter.
Milwaukee carried their attack in the second bolstered by a three from Green that extended the lead to (49-32). Pritchard quickly responded by sinking three straight triples to pull them within (43-54). It was back-and-forth since then, but the Bucks nursed a double-digit advantage at the break.
The Bucks imploded in the second half, committing costly errors that allowed the Celtics to go on a 12-0 run and take their first lead (70-69). The teams traded baskets for a while, but the Celtics emerged with the 3-point edge After exploding for 69 points in the first half, the Bucks were limited to a meager 15 in the third.
Giannis continued to put the Bucks on his back, scoring 8 points to lift his team to a 2-point lead. The score remained tight towards the end but two clutch three-pointers from Tatum swung the momentum and eventually led them to the win.
Up Next
The Celtics host the hawks on Wednesday while the Bucks face the Raptors.
