The Boston Celtics have avenged their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks two nights ago, cruising to a 122-114 win at Fiserv Forum.
The final margin flattered Milwaukee, with a sharp Celtics unit leading by double-digits for the majority of the second half.
The loss snapped an eight game winning streak for the Bucks, who now drop to third in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets.
Tatum bounces back
Tallying 34 points, six rebounds and seven assists, All-Star Jayson Tatum delivered for the Celtics.
Struggling to finish with just 18 points on 19 shots against the Bucks two nights ago, tonight's total came on an incredibly efficient 13-for-18 shooting.
JT’s in the zone tonight 🥶 pic.twitter.com/l0H7A7z5zp
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 27, 2021
Scoring on all three levels, Tatum was consistently able to find his spot against a Bucks defence that had no answer.
Along with Tatum, Marcus Smart added 23 points, Kemba Walker 21 and Jaylen Brown 18 as Boston feasted in Milwaukee.
Giannis not at his best
After missing a game against the Indiana Pacers with a left knee sprain, it hasn't been the usual Antetokounmpo dominance we have come to expect on his two return games against Boston.
Across the two matchups the back-to-back MVP has totalled just 29 points on 10-for-23 shooting.
Boston routinely did an excellent job of showing multiple bodies and packing the paint on Antetokounmpo drives, but it did feel like the 26-year-old lacked his usual power and assertiveness.
Despite the rare quiet outings, of course Antetokounmpo did deliver a highlight reel play with this dunk on the 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall.
Gyros > Tacos pic.twitter.com/GDF5QUGaxe
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 27, 2021
With a game against the Knicks tomorrow, it might be worth monitoring his availability.
Scorching hot Celtics
Shooting 22-for-47 from three on the night, it was a blazing start to the third quarter that helped the Celtics open up a big lead.
A Tatum triple with 7:25 to go in the third period handed the Celtics a 85-67 advantage. That three was Boston's 15th of the night and incredibly their sixth in under five minutes of play in the second half. Shooting 6-for-7 from deep in that 4:55 stretch, the Celtics could do no wrong from the outside.
🔥 EN FUEGO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OqkEo822FH
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 27, 2021
The 43 points in the third quarter was a season-high for Boston and was launched by an absurd 11 triples in the period.
Career night for Merrill
On a night where there weren't too many positives for the Bucks, rookie guard Sam Merrill put in an impressive showing.
Seeing 18 minutes of floor time, Merrill posted a career-high 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting.
A sweet-shooting guard in college, it will be interesting to see whether the first-year player can make his way into a guard rotation that lacks depth after the trade of veteran DJ Augustin.
🚨 SAM MERRILL DUNK ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Rfydnuf2nZ
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 27, 2021
What's next?
The Celtics will continue their road trip in Oklahoma City tomorrow while the Bucks will host the New York Knicks at Fiserv Fourm.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.