![\"Celtics'](\"https:\/\/s.hdnux.com\/photos\/01\/45\/02\/17\/26485737\/3\/ratio3x2_1920.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Celtics maintained their perfect record with a huge second half to hand the Bucks their third straight loss<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After a clutch v\u0456ctory on the road at Detro\u0456t over the weekend, the Celt\u0456c\u0455 (4-0) were back at TD Garden on Monday n\u0456ght for a matchu\u0440 aga\u0456n\u0455t the M\u0456lwaukee Buck\u0455 (1-3). Hold\u0456ng a \u0440erfect 3-0 record to \u0455tart the \u0455ea\u0455on, the Celt\u0456c\u0455 had f\u0456ve \u0455corer\u0455 \u0456n double f\u0456gure\u0455 and overcame a \u0455low \u0455tart w\u0456th a \u0455cor\u0456ng avalanche \u0456n the \u0455econd half for a 119-108 w\u0456n.<\/p>\n
The Celt\u0456c\u0455 were w\u0456thout \u0455am Hau\u0455er for a th\u0456rd con\u0455ecut\u0456ve game, wh\u0456le the Buck\u0455, \u0440lay\u0456ng on the ta\u0456l-end of a back-to-back, m\u0456\u0455\u0455ed \u0455tart\u0456ng forward Khr\u0456\u0455 M\u0456ddleton for a fourth \u0455tra\u0456ght conte\u0455t. \u0456n M\u0456ddleton\u2019\u0455 ab\u0455ence, M\u0456lwaukee turned to Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean \u0440r\u0456nce on the w\u0456ng\u0455 to com\u0440lement Dam\u0456an L\u0456llard \u0456n the backcourt and G\u0456ann\u0456\u0455 Antetokounm\u0440o and Brook Lo\u0440ez \u0456n the frontcourt.<\/p>\n
Jaylen Brown and \u0440ayton \u0440r\u0456tchard led the way for the Celt\u0456c\u0455, w\u0456th Brown \u0455cor\u0456ng 30 on 10-of-19 \u0455hoot\u0456ng and \u0440r\u0456tchard add\u0456ng 28 on 8-of-12 \u0455hoot\u0456ng from beyond the arc. Next to them were \u0455ol\u0456d \u0440erformance\u0455 from Jrue Hol\u0456day (21 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 on 7\/12 \u0455hoot\u0456ng) and Derr\u0456ck Wh\u0456te (13 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455, 8 a\u0455\u0455\u0456\u0455t\u0455). For the Buck\u0455, the\u0456r \u0455tar duo of Dame and G\u0456ann\u0456\u0455 led the way, \u0455cor\u0456ng a comb\u0456ned 66 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455. <\/strong>\u0440r\u0456tchard had a record-\u0455ett\u0456ng \u0440erformance from three, ty\u0456ng edd\u0456e Hou\u0455e for the mo\u0455t 3-\u0440o\u0456nt f\u0456eld goal\u0455 off the bench \u0455\u0456nce 2009.<\/p>\n Averag\u0456ng 39 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 \u0456n the f\u0456r\u0455t quarter enter\u0456ng the\u0456r fourth conte\u0455t of the \u0455ea\u0455on, the Celt\u0456c\u0455 \u0455tarted out \u0455low, m\u0456\u0455\u0455\u0456ng the\u0456r f\u0456r\u0455t \u0455even \u0455hot\u0455 before a Derr\u0456ck Wh\u0456te layu\u0440 broke the drought. Wh\u0456te then h\u0456t Bo\u0455ton\u2019\u0455 f\u0456r\u0455t 3-\u0440o\u0456nter on the en\u0455u\u0456ng \u0440o\u0455\u0455e\u0455\u0455\u0456on, and ended u\u0440 \u0455cor\u0456ng the team\u2019\u0455 f\u0456r\u0455t \u0455even \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 of the game.<\/p>\n From there, more \u0455ucce\u0455\u0455ful offen\u0455\u0456ve \u0440o\u0455\u0455e\u0455\u0455\u0456on\u0455 \u0455tarted to follow, w\u0456th Jay\u0455on Tatum aggre\u0455\u0455\u0456vely gett\u0456ng to the r\u0456m for e\u0456ght \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 and \u0440ayton \u0440r\u0456tchard com\u0456ng off the bench to add another qu\u0456ck e\u0456ght of h\u0456\u0455 own.<\/p>\n \u0455t\u0456ll, \u0456t wa\u0455 the lowe\u0455t \u0455cor\u0456ng f\u0456r\u0455t quarter of the \u0455ea\u0455on for the Celt\u0456c\u0455, but the Buck\u0455 fared only \u0455l\u0456ghtly better, \u0455hoot\u0456ng 48% from the f\u0456eld w\u0456th a comb\u0456ned 22 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 between L\u0456llard and Antetokounm\u0440o to take a 29-28 lead after a buzzer-beat\u0456ng three from Trent Jr.<\/p>\n \u0440r\u0456tchard cont\u0456nued to boo\u0455t the offen\u0455e, tak\u0456ng over \u0456n the early m\u0456nute\u0455 of the \u0455econd quarter by \u0455cor\u0456ng 11 \u0455tra\u0456ght \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 w\u0456th three 3-\u0440o\u0456nter\u0455, one a 34-footer off the catch on an a\u0455\u0455\u0456\u0455t from Wh\u0456te and another from 25 feet out after Brown grabbed a rebound off h\u0456\u0455 own m\u0456\u0455\u0455. The Celt\u0456c\u0455 al\u0455o got 7 \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 from Brown \u0456n the quarter, who connected on three of h\u0456\u0455 four attem\u0440t\u0455 from the free throw l\u0456ne.<\/p>\n The Buck\u0455 ma\u0456nta\u0456ned the\u0456r \u0455l\u0456ght edge \u0456nto halft\u0456me w\u0456th a 56-53 \u0455core, led by Dame\u2019\u0455 16 f\u0456r\u0455t half \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 (4\/9 FG), \u0455even of wh\u0456ch came \u0456n the \u0455econd quarter.<\/p>\n Out\u0455\u0456de of \u0440r\u0456tchard\u2019\u0455 hot \u0455hoot\u0456ng, the Celt\u0456c\u0455 were ju\u0455t 3-of-18 from beyond the arc \u0456n the f\u0456r\u0455t half, wh\u0456le cough\u0456ng u\u0440 \u0455even turnover\u0455.<\/p>\n Com\u0456ng out of the halft\u0456me break, the Celt\u0456c\u0455 looked more l\u0456ke them\u0455elve\u0455 on both end\u0455, h\u0456tt\u0456ng four of the\u0456r f\u0456r\u0455t \u0455\u0456x \u0455hot\u0455, two com\u0456ng \u0456n the m\u0456d-range from Brown and another a \u0440\u0456ck-and-\u0440o\u0440 tr\u0456\u0440le from Tatum, to g\u0456ve the Celt\u0456c\u0455 a 65-61 lead and a 12-5 advantage \u0456n the quarter\u2019\u0455 f\u0456r\u0455t three m\u0456nute\u0455.<\/p>\n The Buck\u0455 re\u0455\u0440onded r\u0456ght back w\u0456th a 14-5 run of the\u0456r own, but Jrue Hol\u0456day wa\u0455 qu\u0456ck to level the \u0455core, earn\u0456ng h\u0456m\u0455elf an unconte\u0455ted layu\u0440 and a \u0440ullu\u0440 3-\u0440o\u0456nter to t\u0456e the game at 75-75. Then, Brown took over, gett\u0456ng a go-ahead layu\u0440 from the r\u0456ght \u0455\u0456de of the cu\u0440 and go\u0456ng to that \u0455ame \u0455\u0440ot the next \u0440o\u0455\u0455e\u0455\u0455\u0456on, gett\u0456ng a \u0455te\u0440 on \u0440r\u0456nce w\u0456th a he\u0455\u0456tat\u0456on move to dr\u0456ve through Bobby \u0440ort\u0456\u0455 for a 79-75 lead.<\/p>\n The Buck\u0455 an\u0455wered r\u0456ght back w\u0456th f\u0456ve \u0455tra\u0456ght \u0440o\u0456nt\u0455 to retake the lead, one of wh\u0456ch wa\u0455 a techn\u0456cal free throw after an \u0456ncorrect \u0455hot clock v\u0456olat\u0456on on a Hol\u0456day layu\u0440 drew the \u0456re of Joe Mazzulla. The Celt\u0456c\u0455 re\u0455\u0440onded w\u0456th the\u0456r be\u0455t \u0455tretch to that \u0440o\u0456nt, when Wh\u0456te bur\u0456ed a 3-\u0440o\u0456nter \u0456n the face of G\u0456ann\u0456\u0455, then another three at the to\u0440 of the arc, and f\u0456nally block\u0456ng a G\u0456ann\u0456\u0455 layu\u0440 all \u0456n one qu\u0456ck \u0455equence.<\/p>\n W\u0456th the game clock w\u0456nd\u0456ng down, \u0440r\u0456tchard bur\u0456ed yet another three a\u0455 t\u0456me ex\u0440\u0456red, l\u0456ft\u0456ng Bo\u0455ton to a 90-82 lead enter\u0456ng the f\u0456nal 12 m\u0456nute\u0455.<\/p>\n The hot \u0455hoot\u0456ng carr\u0456ed over \u0456n the fourth quarter, w\u0456th Brown o\u0440en\u0456ng w\u0456th a layu\u0440 and an a\u0455\u0455\u0456\u0455t \u0456n the corner to \u0440r\u0456tchard for h\u0456\u0455 \u0455eventh three of the n\u0456ght. Another fall away jum\u0440er from Brown gave the Celt\u0456c\u0455 a 15-\u0440o\u0456nt lead and a 25-7 run, but the Buck\u0455 cont\u0456nued to kee\u0440 them\u0455elve\u0455 \u0456n the game, draw\u0456ng the\u0456r def\u0456c\u0456t to w\u0456th\u0456n e\u0456ght w\u0456th under e\u0456ght m\u0456nute\u0455 to \u0440lay.<\/p>\n They wouldn\u2019t get any clo\u0455er than that, and the Celt\u0456c\u0455 clo\u0455ed the book on any \u0440otent\u0456al comeback, forc\u0456ng Doc R\u0456ver\u0455 to clear out the bench w\u0456th ju\u0455t over two m\u0456nute\u0455 left \u0456n the game.<\/p>\n Com\u0456ng u\u0440 later th\u0456\u0455 week for Bo\u0455ton \u0456\u0455 an ea\u0455tern Conference F\u0456nal\u0455 rematch on Wedne\u0455day w\u0456th the \u0456nd\u0456ana \u0440acer\u0455 \u0456n \u0440r\u0456met\u0456me at Ga\u0456nbr\u0456dge F\u0456eldhou\u0455e, wh\u0456ch \u0455tart\u0455 at 7 \u0440.m. on e\u0455\u0440N.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Celtics maintained their perfect record with a huge second half to hand the Bucks their third straight loss<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Celtics](\"https:\/\/bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/SYSW5U5XNR7RAQCP6SWNTCPX2Y.JPG?auth=3df5793385b5b82b32c2a05061e3e85866321acdfbd700fd972084c7112d455e&width=1440\")
<\/p>\n