Bucks – Celtics 127-121: Milwaukee and Antitokunbo win thriller with Boston

The 80th game of the regular season wasn’t the easiest, but it wasn’t the most challenging either. The Celtics traveled to Milwaukee with three inactive fives (Jason Tatum, Al Horford, Robert Williams), but played with great stubbornness and proved they don’t expect opponents and problems. They continued the excellent performances of the last few weeks, pushed the champions and pushed their limits, but in the end they lost the Fiserv Forum (127-121) and are no longer in charge as second. Good as it is because of the potential first-round playoff match against the Brooklyn Nets.

At 50-30 the Bucks (27-14 home and 23-16 away), with Giannis Antetokounbo filling his stats (29 points, 11/17 two points, 0/4 three points, 7/10 shots, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 errors, 2 fouls in 38 minutes) and the Holidays – Middleton with another 51 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists. Overall, Milwaukee’s Big Three had 80 points, 27 rebounds, 22 assists, seven steals and ten errors. The hosts got twice as many points from their opponent’s mistakes (22-11), they had twice as many in surprise (19-9) and they again survived despite the fact that they received +20 three-pointers. They did it against the Heat several times, they did it against Im Udoka’s team.

At 50-31, the Celtics (28-13 home and 22-18 away) have Marcus Smart (29 points, 7/12 3s, 7 assists) and Daniel Thais (22 points, 8/12 shots) did an incredible job while Jalen Brown hit a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The Boston team scored 21 three-pointers, winning the applause and showing that they cannot be considered a passable opponent in the playoffs as they have a nine-man rotation with all their healthy players who can beat anyone, anywhere.

In the last two games of the regular season, the Bucks will face the Pistons and the Cavaliers away from home. Can they capture the heat at the tip of the east? You can. However, we had to dig very deep to clarify the situation and understand why Miami is already first. And math. As for second place? If the Celtics win in Memphis, the Bucks will need 2/2 to get it. At 1/2 they will catch Boston at 51-31, they will have 2-2 in the other games, they will have the same record against teams in the region (33-19) but they will lag behind in percentage teams playoffs and Playin in East (19-16 ones, 20-13 Boston) and is capped at third place. If the Celtics lose in Memphis, the Bucks want a second-place win. If they make 0/2, they get third.

The race

The game started at a fast pace as the Bucks saw four Celtics players score a three-pointer in the fifth minute to make it 15-17. There, Budenholzer took his first time out, followed by a breakout from Portis to 27-20 and finish the season 36-29. The hosts scored 11 points from their opponent’s six errors, 14/19 had two points and just one error, while Boston had 4/11 with two points and relied on the rim shot.

Milwaukee retained the lead early in the second period despite Sam Hauser scoring three straight points, a bench presser who found a role and plenty of time due to the Celtics’ absence. Lopez was hovering at 47-40, Holliday in the same vein at 49-40, Antetokunbo wasn’t pressured to fill his stats but the champions were never really threatened. John assisted a three-pointer from Middleton and then fouled to make it 63-54, Conaton hit from eight yards to make it 67-54 and at halftime five Bucks players had double digits against the amazing Jalen Brown, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Of course, the Deer 23/36 had two points and their opponents only 8/17.

The Celtics’ good time early in the second half and Smart-Brown shots tied the game (73-72), with a partial 4-13 in three minutes. They took the lead 78:77 thanks to their 16th (!) treble before the middle of the third period. Smart placed 17th to overtake again (91:90) three minutes before the end of the twelve minutes at the time that John was the game for the around him and didn’t care so much about scoring a goal. Of course, he did the same against Marcus Smart, who put threes behind the others, the 102-97 leaving the period open.

Pritchard’s five points in just a few seconds made it 102-102 in the 37th minute, White scored from medium range to make it 102-104 and Budenholzer wasted no time. Call timed out with the match not changing shape. The Celtics went to +5 (114-109) with seven minutes left before Matthews reduced to 112-114, Portis scored from the corner in an incredible apotheosis to make it 115-114 and Giannis just that moment when he felt no opponent scored a foul. Smart and Portis went 121-121 in 46′, Giannis fired for the lead, White missed a two-pointer and Holliday scored 124-121 with a second chance.

It was followed by a miss from Jalen Brown, a shot from Antetokunbo to make it 125-121 at 39” and a basket from George Hill from his own steal to secure the win and move closer to second place in the East. Very likely showdown with the Brooklyn Nets by Irving and Durand?

THE TWELVE MINUTES: 36-29, 69-59, 102-97, 127-121

MILGUOKI BUKS (Mike Budenholzer): Middleton 22 (6/10 two points, 3/8 three points, 1/1 shot, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block at 39:20), Antetokunbo 29 (11/17 two points , 7/10 shots, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block in 38:04), Lopez 15 (1 three points, 7 rebounds), Matthews 7 (1), Holiday 29 (6/10 two points, 4th /9 three points, 5/8 shots, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals), Portis 17 (4/7 two points, 3/4 three points, 7 rebounds), Hill 2, Conaton 6 (2), Carter

BOSTON CELTICS (With Udoka): Brown 22 (6/12 two points, 2/8 three points, 4/7 shots, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 errors in 37:28), Williams 4 (8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals ). , 2 blocks), Thais 22 (5/9 two points, 3/3 three points, 3/5 shots, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), White 19 (4 three points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists), Smart 29 (3 /4 two points, 7/12 threes, 2/2 shots, 7 assists, 3 errors at 30:21), Nesmith, Hauser 11 (3), Pritchard 12 (2), Cornet 2

Milwaukee Bucks team stats: 35/59 two points, 14/38 three points, 15/21 shots, 55 rebounds, 27 assists, 12 steals, 5 blocks, 11 errors, 19 fouls

Boston Celtics team stats: 22/37 two points, 21/50 three points, 14/19 shots, 48 ​​rebounds, 30 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, 15 errors, 15 fouls