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Final postseason, when Giannis Antetokounmpo was a worse free throw shooter than he confirmed this season, the Bucks ready meticulously to comply with his misses on the free throw line. Brook Lopez raised his arms and swung them towards the perimeter, his teammates able to catch the kick-outs.
Antetokounmpo, after taking pictures over 70% on the line through the season, fell again to 60% by means of 4 video games on this sequence. Lopez tipped considered one of his two consecutive misses late in Sport 4 again in as a part of Milwaukee’s run to go forward by 10 late within the third quarter earlier than they collapsed.
Two nights later, the Bucks mirrored that play, when Lopez stole three factors within the second half tipping out an Antetokounmpo miss to Vacation, and Boston’s comeback. Ime Udoka known as timeout after the Lopez comply with early within the third quarter, calling out all of his forwards and massive males.
He preempted the extra decisive offensive rebound. Down one with seconds remaining — Bobby Portis broke by means of the Boston entrance courtroom and did it once more following Antetokounmpo’s second free throw miss. This time he put it again himself.
The Bucks got here again trailing by 11 factors with one minutes left within the third, Milwaukee shocked the Celtics with a 33-21 fourth quarter, Marcus Sensible shedding the ball on the ultimate two performs with Boston searching its personal go-ahead basket.
The Celtics now journey to Milwaukee on Friday, shockingly on the point of elimination.
Down 9-5 early, Horford despatched Antetokounmpo away in isolation, who kicked out to Grayson Allen into an eventual journey. Giannis answered with a pull-up two over his head, attacking once more on the following possession as Horford swung his arm down and popped the ball unfastened as Antetokounmpo ready to select up his dribble. The group erupted, and two performs later Grant Williams discovered Jaylen Brown chopping baseline for a slam to drag inside one.
Horford swallowed up Giannis’ floater check out of timeout, diving into the paint on offense on the preliminary motion earlier than Marcus Sensible drove on the second degree and dumped off a move to Horford on the rim. Each checked out, as Jrue Vacation paced Milwaukee’s lead, attacking Daniel Theis on the rim and lacking a layup, which obtained adopted by Bobby Portis, earlier than hitting a short-range jumper.
Tatum, Sensible and Theis obtained energetic within the lane out of timeout, organising a pair of Sensible jumper and pair of Theis finishes across the rim. Tatum snuck round Pat Connaughton’s again to seize a steal after Portis air-balled a 3, sending Sensible out in transition, who eyed Tatum for a move earlier than ending himself. Derrick White checked in attacking the basket for 2, touchdown a lob to Theis, however the Bucks stayed forward by two factors on the finish of the primary.
Horford seated himself within the lane to start the second as Allen drove, standing proper in the way in which on a drop-off move to Giannis and sending Tatum the opposite method for 2. He screened Tatum free for a pull-up three to cap seven straight Tatum factors to open the body that flipped Boston forward, then the Celtics hardened for his or her most dominant defensive stretch all season.
Payton Pritchard surprisingly began it rotating and forcing a journey on Antetokounmpo and a giant excessive 5 from Ime Udoka as he try. A much bigger Celtics lineup collapsed and stopped Allen and Lopez’ comply with. White blocked Vacation on the rim, whereas Sensible batted away considered one of his move makes an attempt off him to pressure a turnover. White discovered Theis for 3 above the break, and Brown ran again his personal block on Vacation for 2 inside. He shot two free throws on the following journey down and ended an 11-0 run touchdown an alley-oop to Tatum forward of him on the break.
The Celtics led by 13 factors after eight straight stops, together with 4 compelled turnovers, Budenholzer subverting a deafening crowd and the momentum with a timeout. The Bucks settled down, Antetokounmpo lining up Horford twice for 4 straight factors whereas the Celtics threw a pair of possessions away and settled for jumpers heading into halftime forward solely 54-47.
Each groups bumped into defensive rebounding points initially of the third, Milwaukee’s offensive rebounds extra by design with Lopez planted by the rim. Antetokounmpo missed a pair of free throws initially of the quarter, Lopez able to bat it out off the rim as he did all postseason and late in Sport 4. Vacation caught the ball and buried a 3, sending Udoka, who probably confirmed that on movie, right into a match in opposition to all of his bigs and forwards into timeout.
The Bucks grabbed two extra offensive rebounds on lengthy bounces two performs later, setting Lopez up for a mid-range shot and making it a one-point recreation. Then, Brown drove downhill, missed, and put his personal shot again. Tatum did the identical. Milwaukee subbed out Lopez and went small, and Boston went on the assault.
Brown scored or assisted on 19 of the Celtics’ 24 photographs to finish the quarter. He pulled up above the break for 3, created separation within the lane on a step-back two, whereas discovering Sensible for 5 straight and Theis on the again line. Boston led by 9 within the waning seconds of the third, Brown caught up within the lane and compelled right into a soar ball. He batted it towards half courtroom, Sensible begging for the ball to his proper, as Brown lined up Milwaukee’s protection, pulled up once more and buried one other three. Sensible stored his palms outstretched previous half courtroom, going from no, to sure.
Antetokounmpo stored tempo with seven straight factors into the fourth, however Boston caught Milwaukee taking part in small and excessive once more, White dumping off to Horford beneath for 2 earlier than Tatum beat the Bucks up the courtroom on the break on the following play to attain by means of a foul. Williams drew a cost on Antetokounmpo, whereas Horford dislodged the ball from him on a later drive and compelled a 3rd foul on the Bucks star, every coming within the opening minutes of the ultimate quarter. However Giannis endured.
Connaughton and Vacation stored the Bucks inside placing distance from deep. He shot 5 instances within the submit space, placing again a Vacation miss inside whereas Connaughton and Wes Matthews added two extra threes. Portis scored on the free throw line following his shot, and the Bucks pulled inside two factors on an Antetokounmpo put again and Vacation pull-up within the lane. Antetokounmpo blocked Horford inside for good measure, the gang nervously applauding with 4:00 remaining for the Celtics to hold on.
Tatum gave the Celtics some respiration room with a pull-up two, Sensible draw a cost on Antetokounmpo, then, with 2:12 remaining in a four-point recreation Horford flew from the three-point line to dunk dwelling Brown’s missed jumper.
Portis missed a protracted two within the nook the opposite method, Matthews swooped in for a rebound and hit Antetokounmpo. For 3. Tie recreation.
Tatum drove and drew two free throws the opposite method, however Giannis got here again and obtained fouled beneath. Udoka known as timeout and ready the crew for the free throw miss that caught the Celtics earlier. Antetokounmpo inevitably missed the second, and Portis recovered it, his put-back spinning round a number of instances earlier than falling.
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