THE Milwaukee Bucks arrived at TD Garden on Wednesday without Giannis Antetokounmpo to deal with Boston Celtics. The Milwaukee franchise cornerstone was ruled out just hours before the game with a sore hamstring, his second straight game to sit out. Bobby Portis, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton were all available for the showdown.
Boston got off to a fast start in the opening minutes behind Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, but the visitors recovered to get closer. Middleton and Beverley led the Bucks’ first-quarter production. Milwaukee trailed 33-28 at the end of the first 12 minutes.
Payton Pritchard came off the bench to give the Boston Celtics a big boost. His energy, hustle on both ends of the court and shooting pushed the visitors’ lead to 18 in the second quarter. The 6-foot-2 Pritchard’s rebound over 7-foot Brook Lopez brought the crowd to its feet.
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After a 10-point first half, Jayson Tatum added 13 more in the second quarter to lead all scorers with 23. Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard combined for 26 points while Patrick Beverley contributed nine off the bench . Boston had a 69-56 advantage going into the break.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics Player Stats and Box Scores
Milwaukee Bucks Player Stats
Boston Celtics Player Stats
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard on 3 points tonight
Jayson Tatum’s fiery start included a 4-of-5 clip in the first half tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jaylen Brown added a triple in two attempts.
Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton combined to go 3 of 5 during the same stretch.
