MILWAUKEE — Jayson Tatum showcased an impressive performance with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a comeback victory over the struggling Milwaukee Bucks with a score of 113-107 on Sunday afternoon.
The Celtics, initially trailing by nine points at halftime, took control of the game when Tatum converted two free throws with 5:51 remaining in the fourth quarter.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a standout game, scoring a season-high 43 points while also contributing 13 rebounds and five assists. However, the Bucks have faced a tough stretch, now having lost eight of their last nine games.
In addition to Tatum’s performance, Payton Pritchard scored 18 points, while both Jrue Holiday and Derrick White added 15 points each. Jaylen Brown made his return after missing four games due to a hip injury, scoring 14 points for the Celtics.
Bobby Portis was a notable contributor for Milwaukee, finishing with 15 points.
Key observations from the matchup include Pritchard’s critical first-half scoring, which kept Boston competitive with 17 points, while Tatum took over in the second half by netting 23 points. The Bucks initially built a strong lead, starting the game with a 16-2 run and maintaining a significant 69-58 advantage at halftime after their highest-scoring half of the season. However, they only managed to score 15 points in the third quarter—marking their lowest quarter total for the season—and were unable to recover after this drastic drop.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when the Celtics began the third quarter with a strong 12-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from Al Horford. The second half featured intense competition, with eight ties and seven lead changes, but each time the Bucks mounted a challenge, Boston effectively responded.
In a notable statistic, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard faced difficulties, scoring 14 points but hitting only one of his eight attempts from three-point range, and has now gone just one for 12 from beyond the arc in his last two games.
Looking ahead, the Celtics will host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, while the Bucks will play against the Toronto Raptors on the same day.