Jayson Tatum scored 46 points, outscored Giannis Antetokounmpo and confirmed that another Milwaukee box would not return to the fourth-quarter as the Boston Celtics beat the defending champions 108-95 on Saturday to seal their Eastern Conference semifinals.
The third drawn win for a road team in Boston on Monday sets a winner-take-all game. The winner is heading to Miami to start an East final match with the top pick hit on Wednesday.
Boston showed its determination by bouncing two nights after blowing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead at five home rates in 110-107 games. Box tried to rally again after falling 14 points behind in the final, but this time Tatum put the Celtics on top and saved their season.
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Antetocanumpore had 44 points, 20 rebounds and six assists. His 20 rebounds were the highest of his career.
With the exciting battle, Tatum and Antetokounmpo became the fifth pair to score more than 44 points each in a play-off game.
Jillian Brown scored 22 and Marcus Smart scored 21 for the Celtics, who capitalized on their superiority from the 3-point range. Celtic had 17 out of 43 and Box 7 out of 27 outside the arc.
Antetokounmpo tried to lead the box to a second impossible return.
Boston led 84-70 and 84-73 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when officials charged Grant Williams with a fifth foul on Antelope. But Box challenges the call and it flips over in the replay, instead sending four fouls to Antetokunampo on the line.
Antetokounmpo made both free throws to start an 8-0 run that got the box back in the game. With just nine minutes left in the 3-pointer of Antelope County, the box cuts to 85-81.
Don’t let the tattoo box get any closer.
After 8-0 box break, Tatum scored the next 11 points for the Celtics. This included a faded jumper as the shot clock expired six and a few to return to 3-pointers.
Tatum and Brown each hit 3-pointers during an 8-0 spree that closed with a smart jumper that made it 100-87 with four minutes left.
Boston has maintained a double-digit edge the rest of the way.
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