Paul George and Derrick White went off for a combined 49 points, but the Boston Celtics just barely escaped the Milwaukee Bucks with a 109-102 win on Wednesday night. This wasn’t some dominant performance against a powerhouse, either. Boston survived a genuine scare from a Bucks squad that’s limping at 1-7, including a brutal 0-4 on the road. Talk about cutting it close, especially when you’re 5-0 at home!
Boston’s Rollercoaster Ride, Missing Tatum
Look, 25 points from Paul George, hitting five three-pointers, and 24 points with seven assists from Derrick White is exactly what you want from your main guys. Baylor Scheierman even stepped up huge off the bench with nine points and 11 boards. The Celtics looked like they were cruising early, snatching a 22-point lead in the second quarter and holding onto a 21-point advantage at halftime. They never even trailed through the first three quarters! But leading by only eight heading into the fourth? That’s when you know things got wild. What’s even crazier is Jayson Tatum, their leading scorer, was watching from the bench for rest, the first time he’s been sidelined this season. And Payton Pritchard missed the entire final quarter with a right eye abrasion. When your All-Star is resting and another key guy is out, you absolutely need your bench and role players to step up, and Boston just scraped by.
The Bucks’ Shocking Comeback That Almost Was
You gotta give credit where it’s due. The Milwaukee Bucks, a team with a 1-7 record, came out in the third quarter like a completely different squad. Tyler Herro exploded for 18 of his 25 points in that single quarter, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 18 points of his own. The Bucks went on a monster 26-12 run, turning what looked like a blowout into a nail-biter. When Ryan Rollins slammed home two of his 13 points, the Celtics’ lead was just 91-89 with only 8:17 left. Then, boom, George threw the ball away, Nate Ament raced down for a layup that tied it at 91. Ament even hit a free throw to give the Bucks their *first lead of the entire game* at 92-91! That’s the kind of comeback that makes you wonder what was happening on the other side of the court.
White’s Clutch Play Saves the Day
With the game tied and momentum completely flipped, the Celtics needed someone to step up, especially with Tatum out. And who else but Derrick White to deliver the goods? He nailed a critical “hoop-and-harm” sequence, getting the basket and the foul, which put Boston back up 102-97 with just 2:22 remaining. That was the spark they needed. From that point, Boston outscored Milwaukee 12-5 over the final three minutes, finally putting the pesky Bucks away. They shot 41% from three, hitting 16 of 39 attempts, which helped them weather the storm.
Up next, the Bucks are back home to host Toronto on Friday night. The Celtics, meanwhile, kick off a tough four-game road trip, starting in Charlotte on Friday. Will Boston learn to close out games against weaker teams, or will they continue to give opponents hope? We’ll be watching to see if they can tighten things up on the road.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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