Jayson Tatum scored 40 factors and Jaylen Brown added 30 as their Boston Celtics steamrolled the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks 140-99 on their residence courtroom.
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 Japanese Convention standings after Thursday’s evening match.
Additionally they received the season collection with the Bucks 2-1, which might give Boston the tiebreaker if each groups end with the identical report.
Boston’s efficiency in these three video games with Milwaukee ought to give the Celtics loads of confidence they might knock out the Bucks once more in the event that they meet within the postseason. They beat the Bucks in seven video games in final season’s East semi-finals.
Milwaukee took successful on the ground in addition to within the standings. Bucks ahead Khris Middleton left the sport halfway by way of 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 way of three durations, inflicting a lot of the starters for each groups to sit down out the complete fourth quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 factors.
The outcome matched the Bucks’ most lopsided lack of the season, having fallen 142-101 at Memphis on December 15.
The Bucks have been taking part in one evening after a 149-136 victory at Indiana by which they shot a season-high 62.four % from the ground with Jrue Vacation scoring 51 factors and Antetokounmpo having 38 factors, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.
Milwaukee discovered the going fairly a bit more durable on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo shot simply 11 of 27, together with zero for five from 3-point vary. Vacation began his evening by sinking a 3-pointer, however went 1 of seven the remainder of the way in which and completed with simply six factors.
Australian veteran Joe Ingles returned to motion for the Bucks after sitting out the victory at Indiana however he went scoreless in 16 minutes on courtroom whereas providing two assists.
Milwaukee’s Thanasis Antetokounmpo was ejected with 1:25 left for head-butting Boston’s Blake Griffin. The pinnacle-butting got here after Griffin dedicated a flagrant-1 foul towards Antetokounmpo.
