The Celtics didn’t just beat the Bucks - they took control of the game in waves, and every wave had a different face on it. Jayson Tatum steadied the opening stretch, Paul George detonated in the second quarter, Boston’s defense strangled Milwaukee through a long middle stretch, and Payton Pritchard finished the job in the fourth.
Milwaukee came out blazing, but Boston erased a 14-point deficit with a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and kept pressing from there. The Celtics’ lead reached 14 in the second, with George catching fire and Derrick White filling up the box score in every direction.
By the third quarter, eight different Celtics had scored. Then Pritchard took over late and closed it out.
George was the headliner offensively. He finished with 27 points on 11-18 shooting, including 5-10 from three, and 20 of those points came before halftime.
He had 16 in the second quarter alone, and Boston’s 18-0 burst was built around his scoring. He opened the second quarter with eight straight points.
Tatum did his damage early. His final line - 21 points, four rebounds, and six assists - looks ordinary enough on paper, but the first quarter told the real story. He had 16 points, three rebounds, and two assists in the opening 12 minutes and served as the calm center while Boston chipped away at Milwaukee’s lead.
The Celtics also got a huge night from Mitchell Robinson, who turned in what was described as his best game. He went 6-6 for 12 points, kept catching lobs, and added four offensive rebounds, two assists, four steals, and a block.
George said in his walk-off interview, “He was amazing with his effort, his energy,” Paul George said in his walk-off interview. “Everything that he does well, he put it on display.
He made a big impact”
Robinson’s connection with Tatum showed up in one of the game’s cleaner highlights, and he kept finding ways to matter around the rim. That was especially notable because he had been listed as questionable with an illness.
Derrick White stuffed the stat sheet too, finishing with nine points, seven assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. One sequence stood out in particular: he jumped, tried to keep possession alive, saw George open, and got him the ball before landing. That kind of play summed up White’s night.
Neemias Queta had a rough opening stint, going 0-4 to start, but he bounced back in the third quarter. He opened that period 3-3 and was a big part of the 7-0 run to start the second half through both scoring and screening.
Sam Hauser also delivered a memorable moment at the end of the third quarter, hitting a buzzer-beater that capped a wild finish to the period. He got both George and Pritchard in the game, adding another odd little twist to the night.
Boston’s defensive pressure was just as important as the shot-making. During the 18-0 run, the Celtics held Milwaukee scoreless for 6:28, forced four steals, and limited the Bucks to 1-9 shooting, including 0-5 from three.
Across the game, Boston piled up 12 steals and 20 offensive rebounds, which helped create a 95-79 edge in field goal attempts. The Celtics also won the turnover battle by eight, turning 15 Bucks turnovers into 19 points.
There was one more odd note in the box score: Mike Conley started. He played 10:26, hit a three, and finished minus-11 in a 20-point win, though that wasn’t really on him. Milwaukee was making shots early no matter who was in front of them.
Boston’s fourth-quarter push got a lift from Pritchard, who caught fire and hit three triples to start the period. He finished 4-11 overall, but his burst helped slam the door. The final score was 117-97.
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