Jaylen Brown led seven different Celtics to finish in double figures, helping Boston beat the Bucks 119-116 in a battle of East contenders.
Brown led Boston in points (26) and assists (8), helping the hosts build a double-digit lead in the first half that they were able to sustain for much of the night. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and 10 rebounds despite playing through illness while all three Celtics reserves finished in double digits. Damian Lillard had 27 points for the Bucks helping the visitors rally within three points in the final minute with a 20-6 run. However, it wasn’t enough as Giannis Antetokounmpo (7-of-20 FG) struggled through an off shooting night and Jayson Tatum hit three free throws in the final minute to help seal the win for the hosts.
The win puts Boston alone atop the Eastern Conference with a 12-3 record, boosting their lead to two games in the standings over the Bucks.
The Celtics will return to action on Friday afternoon for a pivotal in-season tournament game against the Magic that may determine who advances from the group in pool play.
Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ win on Wednesday night:
Jaylen Brown bounces back in a big way: After facing some deserved criticism for some ugly stretches against the Grizzlies and Hornets, the All-Star responded quite nicely against the Bucks on a big stage. Brown came out red hot, scoring eight of Boston’s first 10 points on a mix of 3s and attacks of the rhythm. From there, he turned into Boston’s best playmaker in the second quarter, tallying a team-high five assists in the first half while setting up a number of easy Kristaps Porzingis looks in their two-man game. Brown finished with a team-high 13 points in the first half and set the tone for the Celtics as they built a double-digit lead before intermission with a superb offensive performance. He led the team in both points and assists in the win.
Celtics bench shines: This group was a little bit inconsistent to start the season but they have really found their stride in recent weeks. That improved effort was on full display against the Bucks as the second unit dominated offensively early, helping Boston build a double-digit lead against the Bucks in the second quarter. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Al Horford all hit multiple 3s before halftime and scored 25 points overall on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. That type of stellar play led to Joe Mazzulla riding that group longer than usual which kept the starters’ minutes down despite facing a premier opponent.
Khris Middleton doesn’t look like a guy who can give Celtics nightmares anymore: The veteran wing has been on a minute limit for much of the season and still doesn’t look anything like himself. He failed to make a shot in the entire first half, scoring two points and was constantly blown by Celtics defenders in isolation situations. A big part of the Bucks blueprint this offseason with bringing in Lillard was having Middleton return to form as a viable third option. However, his performance against the Celtics firepower makes him look like a guy who could be on the back nine from a mobility and production standpoint. There’s a long way to go before the postseason but Middleton has a long way to go to get anywhere near the guy that haunted the Celtics endlessly in head-to-head matchups for years. Middleton finished with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting
Defense keeps Giannis and Lillard in check for much of the night: All eyes were on the Lillard vs. Holiday matchup in their first game as opponents since the offseason deals. While Holiday had a rough night offensively, scoring just three points, he spent plenty of time on Giannis and Lillard, helping a superb Boston team effort to keep the superstar duo in check. Giannis shot 35 percent from the field and while Lillard looked to be at far less than 100 percent (he was on the injury report with an oblique injury before the game), the Celtics threw plenty of bodies at both guys and made sure nothing came easy. There were plenty of uncharacteristic misses from both players but the Celtics did well to ensure neither guy got into a rhythm until it was too late for Milwaukee to rally.
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