The Boston Celtics didn’t just beat the Milwaukee Bucks, they straight up stomped them 117-97 in Milwaukee, putting a 20-point exclamation mark on their second meeting of the season. Boston moved to 8 wins on the season after overcoming an early deficit to dominate the final three quarters.
Kuzma Went Wild, Then Boston Answered the Bell
Bro, the first quarter was wild. Milwaukee came out of the gates absolutely rolling at Fiserv Forum, hitting 8 of their first 11 shots from the field. Meanwhile, Boston was ice cold, making only 2 of their first 10. Kyle Kuzma was literally outscoring the Celtics by himself, dropping 14 points in just five minutes and hitting four triples to start the game. Boston was down 6-17 before Joe Mazzulla wisely called a timeout. Luckily, Kuzma eventually cooled off, bricking a couple of threes, and Boston started to weather that early storm. Jayson Tatum, though, was still doing work, bagging 9 points himself in the first seven minutes with three triples. As the quarter progressed, Jordan Walsh, Payton Pritchard, Mitchell Robinson, and Sam Hauser checked in, with Tatum being the only starter on the floor for either squad for the full 12. The C’s slowly clawed their way back, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to just 7 points at the two-minute mark, especially after Kuzma and Tyler Hierro went to the bench. By the end of the first, Boston had kept getting stops and miraculously cut the lead to just two points, 25-27. Tatum led the charge with 16 points in those first 12 minutes, with Paul George and Mitchell Robinson each adding 4, and Neemias Queta chipping in a free throw. What a comeback after that nightmare start!
Paul George Lights Up the Second, Celtics Cruise
The second quarter kicked off with Luka Garza and Baylor Scheierman hitting the floor, immediately upping Boston’s defensive intensity with some serious hustle plays. Then, Paul George took over. PG drained a fadeaway three-pointer to give Boston their first lead of the game, 28-27, and he wasn’t done. He scored all 8 points to start the second quarter, forcing Bucks’ head coach Taylor Jenkins to call a timeout. Scheierman kept the energy high, throwing down a two-hand dunk right in front of the Celtics’ bench that had the whole team on their feet. Derrick White then added 5 quick points to keep the momentum rolling. George finished the night leading Boston with 27 points, with Tatum adding 21. Oh, and shout out to Mike Conley, who started his 1,143rd career NBA game. The Celtics locked down those final three quarters, turning that early deficit into a dominant 20-point victory.
That’s a huge statement win on the road, showing this Boston team can handle the heat and come back swinging. These early season wins are big for building that momentum, and a performance like this against a rival like the Bucks? Yeah, that sends a message.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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