BOSTON – The Celtics came out shooting Tuesday night, especially from beyond the arc, as they beat the Bucks 108-100. Four of the Celtics' first seven made shots were three-pointers, allowing a nine point advantage for the Celtics over the Bucks (18-9).
In mid first quarter, Jared Sullinger missed a shot he threw up with a winding shot clock. In what seemed like an attempt to save the ball from going out of bounds, Avery Bradley flipped Sullinger's missed shot over the backboard and into the bucket fractions of a second before a shot clock violation.
The Celtics certainly settled down toward the end of the first quarter. After a three-pointer by Khris Middleton for the Bucks at 3:36, neither team scored until Milwaukee's Luke Ridnour hit a jumpshot at the 1:51 mark of the first quarter.
Boston and Milwaukee exchanged shots to end the first quarter. Zaza Pachulia hit a layup for Milwaukee with 0.9 seconds left in the first quarter; however, the Celtics were the victors of the quarter with a five point lead (28-23).
The C's missed their first three shots and turned the ball over on a shot clock violation, which the Bucks converted into two points on a Zaza Pachulia layup.
Pachulia fouled Boston's Gerald Wallace, sending Wallace to the freethrow line and Pachulia to the bench with John Henson entering Milwaukee's lineup in Pachulia's place.
Henson had his share of bad luck, losing the ball to Kris Humphries (which Humphries converted into two points for Boston), then fouling Jared Sullinger, sending Sullinger to the freethrow line for two points.
Milwaukee then went on a 9-1 run, bringing the Bucks within seven of Boston (46-39). Miwaukee's run ended on a Jordan Crawford layup followed by Bucks' Ekpe Udoh's layup, ending the first half with a seven point advantage for Boston (48-41).
Jordan Crawford struggled to start the third quarter, missing a three pointer and turning the ball over. While Crawford struggled, however, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green prospered, combining for 19 of Boston's 21 third quarter points.
Milwaukee only outscored Boston in the third quarter by one point (22-21), and headed to the final quarter trailing Boston by six points (69-63).
It was Jordan Crawford and Courtney Lee who stepped up for Boston in the fourth quarter; they accounted for Boston's first 17 points, with nine of those points resulting from shots from beyond the arc.
Five of Boston's last seven points came from freethrows in Milwaukee's attempt to play the foul game. Milwaukee's efforts were futile though, as the Celtics were the victors tonight with a final score of
100-108. Jordan Crawford and Jeff Green were the point leaders for Boston, Crawford with 25 points and Green with 18 while
O.J. Mayo and
Brandon Knight led Milwaukee, Mayo with 19 points and Knight with 15 points. The Celtics have two days off before facing the
Denver Nuggets in Boston on Friday night.
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