Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds and 12 assists while Jrue Holiday scored 25 points and Bobby Portis had 15 points.
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The Milwaukee Bucks rode on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impressive triple-double to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal on Sunday. Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds and 12 assists as the defending NBA champions swiped home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. “What did I see? I had the ball and I was like, ‘Oh, crap. I’m going to get stuck,'” Antetokounmpo said after recording his second career postseason triple-double. “I threw it to the backboard. I’m lucky enough that God blessed me with the ability to jump. I had a good jump to go get it again and I was able to finish the play.”
Milwaukee Bucks coach, Mike Budenholzer lauded Giannis’ skills and said that he is unique and special. He said, “That’s just pure talent, just pure instinct. He’s a great player. He does things that are unique and special and timely. That’s one of those plays where you’re happy he’s on our side.” Jrue Holiday scored 25 points and had 10 rebounds and Bobby Portis had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the defending NBA champions who are back at the TD Garden for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
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Boston’s talisman Jayson Tatum scored 21 and Jaylen Brown had 12 points, but the two Boston stars combined to shoot 10 for 31 in the game. Al Horford dropped 12 points and had 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who fired up 50 3-pointers, making 18, and shot 33% from the floor as a team. “Offensively, not our best night. I thought we guarded well enough,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “To lose a 12-point game when we shot so poorly bodes well for us. In a way, it’s good to get this dud out of the way, offensively.”
Giannis scored eight straight points at the end of the first half to bring a double-digit lead into the break. The Celtics were within seven in the final minute of the third quarter before going without a bucket for more than four minutes while the Bucks scored 11 of the next 14 points which included Antetokounmpo’s insane alley-oop pass to himself that gave them a 94-78 lead. “I can’t do that. I wouldn’t even think about trying,” Holiday said. “He’s got a great nickname.”
The Celtics won 26 of their previous 32 matches in the regular season and were the only team to sweep its first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. Boston led by as many as eight points before Milwaukee scored the last 10 points of the first quarter. Giannis scored the last six of the half to give the Bucks a 56-46 lead at the break. “This one should hurt a little bit,” Al Horford said. “We have an opportunity now to learn from this game, see how we can be better as a group and come out and do that Tuesday.”
