NBA: Boston Celtics thrash Milwaukee Bucks to equalise semifinal series

Boston Celtics are back in the game. The host team thrashed Milwaukee Bucks with a 109-86 tally. The two teams are now tied at 1-1 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Jaylen Brown was the top-scoring player of the game and added 30 points to the Boston Celtics tally. Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo were not far behind.

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Marcus Smart was benched by Boston Celtics for game 2 of the conference semifinals. The Defensive Player of the Year bruised his right thigh in the first game. Derrick White took his place in the starting lineup, making his first start in a playoff game since 2019 when he was with San Antonio.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said he expected to score a lot more than just 28 points in Tuesday’s game. The Celtics’ defense was proactive to target Antetokounmpo’s charge, dampening his game. Jrue Holiday added 19 points and seven assists. Bobby Portis chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds.

“Strong bodies, being active, being physical —- that is pretty much it. It has gotten tougher to find your teammates”, the Milwaukee Bucks star player told reporters after the game.

Boston Celtics scored from a variety of different spots on the court during the run – attacking both at the rim and inside the paint, according to reports from Associated Press.

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The Bucks cut into what had been a 26-point Celtics lead in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo keyed the charge with 18 points in the period. A 10-0 Milwaukee run, aided by a more than five-minute Celtics scoring drought, trimmed Boston’s lead to 72-56 late in the third quarter.

The Eastern Conference semifinals series will resume on Saturday in Milwaukee. Both teams would seek an early lead in the competition and not force additional games.