Tatum’s huge effort helps Celtics win 108-95 to force Game 7


With defending champion Milwaukee Bucks attempting to complete the fourth-quarter comeback for the second game in a row and the Eastern Conference semi-finals closed, Tatum made sure the Boston Celtics kept their season alive and imposed a crucial seventh game, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Tatum scored 46 points and the Celtics withstood an impressive performance from Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmue to win 108-95 Friday night, the road team’s third straight win in this exciting series.

“I wouldn’t leave anything there and have no regrets,” Tatum said. “I just try to do what it takes.”

After the Bucks trimmed a 14-point deficit to four with less than 9 minutes left, Tatum took control of the match. He scored 16 of 26 points in the fourth quarter for Boston.

It was amazing,” Antetokounmpo said.

Tatum’s efforts led to a winner-takes-all match on Sunday in Boston. The victor heads to Miami to start a final in the East with the top seed the heat Tuesday.

“I don’t think anyone has ever won two games in a row in this series,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Now, it’s the end. You have to go and find a way to get that fourth win and win the series. I think everyone in the sport is looking for that game. That college feel. That feeling that NCAA feels, where if you lose your season, if you win you win.” It will go on. It’s exciting.”

The Bucks had won all eight potential winners of the Budenholzer Series for four years prior to Friday. This was the first time the Bucks had missed a potential watershed point since Game 7 defeat Boston in the 2018 first round of the series.

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Boston showed its resolve by rebounding two nights after taking a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter in 110-107 Game 5 home loss. The Bucks tried to rally again after trailing by 14 in the last period, but this time the Celtics stayed on top.

“Tonight is going to be the first night since that game that I’m getting some sleep,” said Marcus Smart, who has 21 points, seven assists and didn’t move his mind.

Jaylen Brown added 22 points for the Celtics, who took advantage of their 3-point advantage. The Celtics were 17 of 43 and Bucks 7 of 27 from over the arc.

Antetokounmpo attempted to lead the Bucks to an unlikely second consecutive comeback.

Boston led 84-70 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and went up 84-73 when officials ruled that Grant Williams had leveled on a fifth Antetokounmue foul. But the Bucks defied the call and it was overturned on replay, instead sending Antetokounmpo to the line with four fouls.

Antetokounmpo made two free throws to start the 8-0 round that brought the Bucks back into the match. The Bucks trimmed the margin to 85-81 on the Antetokounmpo 3 index with 8:42 left.

Tatum said he was thinking about the breakdown of Game Five when the Bucks started to gather. He wanted to make sure the Bucks didn’t win the ball 50-50 and controlled the glass the way they did on a stretch on Wednesday.

“They were tougher than us in that last quarter of Game 5,” Tatum said. “It was in the back of my mind. This was in the back of everyone’s mind, where we couldn’t beat this kind of play. Our season was on the line.”

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Tatum won’t let the money get any closer.

After an 8-0 bucks spurt, Tatum scored 11 points for the Celtics. This included a lackluster jump as the shot clock ended to bring the lead back to six plus a pair of 3-pointers.

“He got into another situation there,” Smart said. “We saw it in his eyes.”

Tatum and Brown hit a triple-pointer during an 8-0 closing boom with Smart’s jumper making it 100-87 with 4:20 remaining.

Boston maintained a double-digit advantage along the way.

“We had the right intent,” Celtics coach Emi Udoka said. “We talked about it after that match. We let an opportunity slip by (Wednesday) but we still had a chance to make it a better story, I think.”

The missing players

The Celtics played without striker/Robert Williams for the third game in a row. Odoka said Williams suffered a bruise on his left knee while colliding with Antetokounmpo in Game Three.

Milwaukee missed All-Star striker Chris Middleton three times for the ninth game in a row. Middleton sprained his medial collateral ligament in his left knee during Game Two of the Bucks’ first round series with the Chicago Bulls.

7 history game

The Celtics have a record of 24-9 in a 7-game, while the Bucks are only 3-8.

But the Bucks can count on some successful recent history in winner-takes-all games. Their title last year included a Game 7 overtime victory in Brooklyn in the Eastern Semifinals.

Hint

Celtics: Tatum scored at least 30 points in three consecutive games. …having hit 5 of 27 in 3-point attempts in Games 3-5, Tatum was 7 of 15 on Friday. …the Celtics were 10 out of 17 from a 3-point range in the first 14 1/2 minutes of the game.

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Bucks: Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday (17) and Pat Connaughton (14) combined for 75 out of 95. The other Bucks fired a 9 of 33 overall and a 0 of 13 from a 3-point range. … Antetokounmpo was 14 of 15 in free throw attempts. …a moment of silence was held before the match to honor the Hall of Famer Bob Lanier who died Tuesday at the age of 73. Lanier played for the Bucks from 1980 to 1984, his number 16 shirt hanging from the rafters at the Fiserv Forum.

Change of crew chief

Scott Foster, the scheduled crew chief for Game 6, was unable to take over due to an illness unrelated to COVID-19. Eric Lewis took over as crew chief with Ben Taylor serving as referee and Trey Maddox as referee.

AOQ







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