After a clutch victory on the street at Detroit over the weekend, the Celtics (4-0) had been again at TD Backyard on Monday night time for a matchup in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks (1-3). Holding an ideal 3-0 report to start out the season, the Celtics had 5 scorers in double figures and overcame a sluggish begin with a scoring avalanche within the second half for a 119-108 win.
The Celtics had been with out Sam Hauser for a 3rd consecutive recreation, whereas the Bucks, enjoying on the tail-end of a back-to-back, missed beginning ahead Khris Middleton for a fourth straight contest. In Middleton’s absence, Milwaukee turned to Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince on the wings to enhance Damian Lillard within the backcourt and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez within the frontcourt.
Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard led the best way for the Celtics, with Brown scoring 30 on 10-of-19 taking pictures and Pritchard including 28 on 8-of-12 taking pictures from past the arc. Subsequent to them had been strong performances from Jrue Vacation (21 factors on 7/12 taking pictures) and Derrick White (13 factors, 8 assists). For the Bucks, their star duo of Dame and Giannis led the best way, scoring a mixed 66 factors. Pritchard had a record-setting efficiency from three, tying Eddie Home for probably the most 3-point subject objectives off the bench since 2009.
Averaging 39 factors within the first quarter getting into their fourth contest of the season, the Celtics began out sluggish, lacking their first seven photographs earlier than a Derrick White layup broke the drought. White then hit Boston’s first 3-pointer on the following possession, and ended up scoring the staff’s first seven factors of the sport.
From there, extra profitable offensive possessions began to comply with, with Jayson Tatum aggressively attending to the rim for eight factors and Payton Pritchard coming off the bench so as to add one other fast eight of his personal.
Nonetheless, it was the bottom scoring first quarter of the season for the Celtics, however the Bucks fared solely barely higher, taking pictures 48% from the sphere with a mixed 22 factors between Lillard and Antetokounmpo to take a 29-28 lead after a buzzer-beating three from Trent Jr.
Pritchard continued to spice up the offense, taking up within the early minutes of the second quarter by scoring 11 straight factors with three 3-pointers, one a 34-footer off the catch on an help from White and one other from 25 ft out after Brown grabbed a rebound off his personal miss. The Celtics additionally obtained 7 factors from Brown within the quarter, who related on three of his 4 makes an attempt from the free throw line.
The Bucks maintained their slight edge into halftime with a 56-53 rating, led by Dame’s 16 first half factors (4/9 FG), seven of which got here within the second quarter.
Exterior of Pritchard’s scorching taking pictures, the Celtics had been simply 3-of-18 from past the arc within the first half, whereas coughing up seven turnovers.
Popping out of the halftime break, the Celtics seemed extra like themselves on each ends, hitting 4 of their first six photographs, two coming within the mid-range from Brown and one other a pick-and-pop triple from Tatum, to provide the Celtics a 65-61 lead and a 12-5 benefit within the quarter’s first three minutes.
The Bucks responded proper again with a 14-5 run of their very own, however Jrue Vacation was fast to degree the rating, incomes himself an uncontested layup and a pullup 3-pointer to tie the sport at 75-75. Then, Brown took over, getting a go-ahead layup from the suitable facet of the cup and going to that very same spot the subsequent possession, getting a step on Prince with a hesitation transfer to drive via Bobby Portis for a 79-75 lead.
The Bucks answered proper again with 5 straight factors to retake the lead, considered one of which was a technical free throw after an incorrect shot clock violation on a Vacation layup drew the ire of Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics responded with their finest stretch to that time, when White buried a 3-pointer within the face of Giannis, then one other three on the high of the arc, and at last blocking a Giannis layup multi function fast sequence.
With the sport clock winding down, Pritchard buried yet one more three as time expired, lifting Boston to a 90-82 lead getting into the ultimate 12 minutes.
The recent taking pictures carried over within the fourth quarter, with Brown opening with a layup and an help within the nook to Pritchard for his seventh three of the night time. One other fall away jumper from Brown gave the Celtics a 15-point lead and a 25-7 run, however the Bucks continued to maintain themselves within the recreation, drawing their deficit to inside eight with beneath eight minutes to play.
They wouldn’t get any nearer than that, and the Celtics closed the ebook on any potential comeback, forcing Doc Rivers to filter out the bench with simply over two minutes left within the recreation.
Arising later this week for Boston is an Japanese Convention Finals rematch on Wednesday with the Indiana Pacers in primetime at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
