BOSTON — The Celtics and Bucks ratcheted up the pressure and intensity for a regular-season game, and again, the C’s came away with the victory. This time, it was a 111-105 win Friday at TD Garden as the Celtics have swept the Bucks in the season series.
With the win, Boston improved to 19-4 while Milwaukee dropped to 11-11. The physicality was present throughout Friday’s game as bodies hit the floor and the fouls came with some extra oomph. There were 14 lead changes as the teams battled it out as the refs let them play through the physicality.
The Celtics led throughout the first half, courtesy of a hot start from Jaylen Brown. But the Bucks stayed close and made their 3-pointers. The Celtics went 0-12 from behind the arc in the second quarter, allowing the Bucks to take a slim lead into halftime. It was the first time this season the C’s didn’t hit at least one 3-pointer in a quarter.
It stayed a close game from there throughout the second half as neither team was able to go on a long run. That set the stage for a physical finish Friday. It had the intensity of a playoff game as neither team was backing down and letting the other take the physical edge. Ultimately, it was the C’s who came out victorious in the clutch game.
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Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Brown added another 25 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 11 rebounds while Damian Lillard had 31 points and five rebounds. The C’s were without Kristaps Porzingis as they saved him for the second game of their back-to-back.
The Celtics finish up a busy stretch as they take on Marcus Smart and the Grizzlies at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Garden. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Milwaukee:
Stars showed up: While the Celtics are deep and have relied on their depth, they got steady production from their best players. Brown and Tatum combined for 59 points. On the flip side, the Bucks got a combined 61 points from Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Milwaukee also had Khris Middleton for his season debut Friday as he scored 11 points off the bench on a minutes restriction. While there were other important cast members Friday, the best players showed out.
Back-and-forth: Brown and Antetokounmpo have a little bit of history from their last meeting, and there was at least a bit of friction Friday. Brown called the Bucks star a “child” after the C’s beat the Bucks in Milwaukee last month. The Bucks star hit Brown with a fake handshake that led to Brown’s comments. This time, Brown got a technical foul after he jawed at Antetokounmpo going up the court. Brown had just scored on Antetokounmpo, giving him the “too small” gesture, which also led to Antetokounmpo giving Brown a bit of an elbow on the Celtics star’s way up the court. The antics didn’t go over-the-top, but there was a little extra juice to Friday’s game.
Heating up: Sam Hauser had a slow start to the season, partly because of some back issues he dealt with throughout training camp. But he’s started to find his groove shooting the ball; that was again the case Friday. Hauser finished with 16 points off the bench, shooting 4-for-8 on 3-pointers. Hauser came into Friday’s game shooting 36.4% from 3 on the season as he’s started to heat up in recent games.
Final meeting: In a scheduling quirk, after playing three times in three months, the Celtics and Bucks won’t meet again in the 2024-25 regular season. They beat the Bucks on Oct. 28 at home and Nov. 10 on the road, meaning they already clinched the season series regardless of Friday’s game. The Bucks struggled out of the game this season, so it might not end up mattering as a head-to-head tiebreaker in the standings. But that’s a wrinkle when it comes to the two East rivals.
