SAN FRANCISCO, United States —
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and passed off eight assists to spark
defending champion Milwaukee over Boston 103–101 on Saturday in the NBA
playoffs.
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The Greek superstar center also had two blocked shots and
two steals for the Bucks, who seized a 2–1 lead in the best-of-seven
Eastern Conference second-round series, which continues at Milwaukee on Monday.
In Western Conference action, the
Golden State Warriors went
up 2–1 on the Memphis Grizzlies with a 142–112 blowout in San Francisco.
The defeat was even more painful for the Grizzlies as they
saw star Ja Morant limp out with an apparent knee injury late in the fourth
quarter.
Morant had been sensational in defeat, scoring 34 points
with three rebounds and seven assists. He appeared to hurt his knee in a tussle
for a loose ball in the final period.
But the Grizzlies couldn't slow a Warriors team that
connected on 63.1 percent of their shots, with
Stephen Curry leading the way
with 30 points and Jordan Poole adding 27 off the bench.
Klay Thompson scored 21 for the Warriors, who had six
players score in double figures in a comprehensive victory.
Memphis got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 13 on
the way to a 28–26 lead at the end of the first quarter.
But the Warriors responded and pulled ahead in the second
quarter, building a 64–57 halftime lead that would have been bigger but for
Morant's buzzer-beating three-pointer from halfcourt.
The Warriors took a 21-point lead into the final quarter and
were never threatened.
"We were a little bit more composed," Curry said.
"They got off to a hot start, like six threes in the first quarter. We had
to settle in. We still had too many turnovers.
"But our shot selection, moving the ball, let us settle
in the game a little bit, helped our defense, helped us run away with the
game."
In Milwaukee, the Celtics rallied from 14 points down to
pull within 103–100 with 4.6 seconds remaining, and Boston's Marcus Smart sank
the first of two free throws to lift the visitors within the final margin.
Smart missed the second free throw with hopes of grabbing a
rebound and making a tying inside shot, but
Robert Williams missed a tip-in try
and Al Horford's tip-in was ruled to have come after the final buzzer, giving
Milwaukee the victory.
"It was very close," Bucks center Brook Lopez
acknowledged of the Horford tip-in.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said the foul by
Jrue Holiday on
Smart, ruled before a shot attempt, should have been seen as coming in the act
of shooting and brought three free throws, which would have given Smart a
chance to tie the game at the line.
"He was going into the shot," Udoka said.
"Poor no-call. It's a shot. He's curling into a shot. Bad missed
call."
Bucks coach
Mike Budenholzer said the Bucks were
"fortunate it was two free throws but we were not trying to foul him.
Sloppy Celtics
Udoka also said it should not have come down to that.
"We were sloppy in the third execution-wise and allowed
them to get that lead, then battled back in the fourth," he said.
"But we can play a lot better."
Holiday had 25 points for the Bucks, while Lopez added 13
points and 10 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, bounced back from a poor shooting
night in game two, connecting on 16 of 30 shots.
"I know what my strengths are," Antetokounmpo
said. "Just try to read what's in front of me and just play with my
instincts."
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 27 points and had 12 rebounds,
while Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Celtics, but
Jayson Tatum
went 4-of-19 from the floor and scored only 10 points.
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