After a lackluster performance in Game 1, it was pretty safe to assume the Milwaukee Bucks would come out with more fire in Game 2 of their second-round NBA playoff series with the Boston Celtics.
And the best team from the regular season showed why they earned that title, completely dominating the second half to absolutely decimate the C’s 123-102 and even the series Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum.
Giannis Antetokounmpo took over in the third quarter, as the Bucks outscored Boston by 21 points and easily cruised from there. Meanwhile, the Celtics got miserable performances from Kyrie Irving (4-for-18 shooting, nine points), Gordon Hayward (1-for-5, five points) and Jayson Tatum (2-for-10, five points).
Antetokounmpo led the way with 29 points (13 at the free throw line) and 10 rebounds. Khris Middleton was close behind with 28 on a 7-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. Marcus Morris led the way with 17 for the Celtics, while Jaylen Brown scored 16 and Al Horford followed with 15.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Al Horford
KYRIE AND GIANNIS QUIET
It wasn’t a particularly strong offensive opening quarter for either side, as the Celtics took a 30-25 lead into the second.
Irving and Antetokounmpo combined to go 0-for-9 from the floor. The Bucks shot just 7-for-20 from the field in the first, and could have been facing a much bigger deficit if not for a 5-for-8 performance from beyond the arc in the opening 12.
Morris and Horford led the Celtics with seven points. Middleton led all scorers with nine.
NECK AND NECK
Milwaukee used a massive push in the closing moments of the half to take a 59-55 lead through two quarters. The Bucks outscored Boston 34-25 in the second.
Middleton remained hot from long range in the second, draining back-to-back treys to give the Bucks a 42-38 lead with 7:10 left in the half.
Khris Middleton is HOT 🔥
4-5 from deep and 15 PTS already! 👀#FearTheDeer | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/75ZPQFVBhQ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 1, 2019
Irving started to show life, sinking his first points of the night with a baseline turnaround jumper, then hit a three a few possessions later. He dished a behind the back pass to Morris for a 3-pointer that gave the C’s a 48-46 lead with 3:56 left in the half.
That ignited a wild end to the half, in which the Eric Bledsoe and George Hill hit back-to-back three’s in the final 30 seconds to give the Bucks the four-point advantage.
Middleton led all players with 20 points at the half. Horford paced the Celtics with 12.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
The Celtics got their doors blown off in the third period, getting outscored 39-18 to trail 98-73 heading into the fourth.
The Bucks built up some breathing room in the early goings of the third. Middleton hit his sixth three of the contest to make it a 74-64 game with 8:22 to play in the quarter. Boston roared right back with a 6-0 run, but Milwaukee answered that with its own 6-0 run to once again build the lead up to 10.
It got really, really ugly from there. Milwaukee outscored Boston 24-2 over the final six minutes of the quarter, with Antetokounmpo virtually taking things over, earning his way to free throw line. He was 12-for-16 from the charity stripe through three.
Antetokounmpo led all players with 28 points through 36 minutes. Morris led the Celtics with 17.
BUCKS EVEN SERIES
It was all pretty elementary from there, as Milwaukee cruised to the finish after building an insurmountable lead in the third.
Boston’s starters would not get back within 25 points, and head coach Brad Stevens opted to empty his bench.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Brown Vs. Giannis (again).
UP NEXT
The series shifts to Boston with Game 3 set for Friday. Tip from TD Garden is set for 8 p.m. ET.
