Giannis Antetokounmpo’s historic playoff series was not enough for the Milwaukee Box as Boston set a Game Seven record with 22 three-pointers to knock out current NBA champions 109-81 in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference on Monday morning (AEST).
The top pick, which starts Wednesday, will face Miami in a rematch of the Boston 2020 East Finals. The Heat beat The Celtics in six games in that series during the epidemic-hit season at Walt Disney World.
The Celtics trailed in the first half but led the box 61-38 in the second half. Boston used a 54-point advantage from behind the arc to improve to 25-9 in the final seventh game.
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The box is now 3-9. They made four for 33 (12.1 percent) from the three-point line. This is the second-lowest three-point percentage (minimum 30 attempts) in the playoffs.
Antetokounmpo chipped in with 25 points, a whopping 20 rebounds and nine assists, ending a historic playoff series, the first player in a double NBA MVP to record 200 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists in a series.
But it was a performance that was so good that it needed AntoCoumpo’s support cast, the missing all-star forward Chris Middleton, to do more.
Grant Williams scored a career-high 27 points and took seven wickets for 18 runs as the Celtics fell 3-2 and ended the comeback after five drops at home.
Boston started the second half to open a 59-47 lead at 11-4.
It was 63-53 when Jason Tatum, who finished with 23 points, went to the bench after whistling for his fourth foul. But the Celtics rallied without him, scoring 16-11 in the rest of the quarter to move to fourth place with a 79-64 lead.
Box led the entire first quarter with a score or assists in 24 of Antetokunampo Milwaukee’s 26 first-quarter points.
He finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists to help the Boxes take a 26-20 lead.
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