The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the NBA-leading Boston Celtics 135-102 on Thursday night after Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 20 consecutive baskets during a 25-0 first-half burst.
The Bucks won for the second time in six games with Portis scoring 28 and Antetokounmpo 24 and both players 12 rebounds. Damian Lillard scored 21 points after returning from a personal absence in Milwaukee’s 132-116 home defeat to the Utah Jazz on Monday.
As Jrue Holiday returned to Milwaukee, the Bucks led by 43 points and had their fourth-largest halftime lead in team history at 75-38. The Celtics returned to action one night after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime, while the Bucks hadn’t played since Monday.
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Boston gave up its most points of the season and rested all starters in the second half. The Bucks rested all starters in the fourth quarter.
Payton Pritchard scored 21 and Sam Hauser 15 for the Celtics, who missed 16 of their first 17 3-point tries and went 9 of 34 from deep. Milwaukee shot 56.5% overall and 18/42 on 3-pointers.
Boston’s Oshae Brissett dunked to trim Milwaukee’s advantage to 31-23 with 2:14 left in the first quarter, but they didn’t score again for nearly 6 1/2 minutes. With 7:38 remaining in the second quarter, Jaylen Brown dunked to snap Boston’s skid.
Portis had 13 points and Antetokounmpo seven in the 25-0 run.
Milwaukee led 41-23 after Portis scored eight of the final 10 points in the first quarter. The Bucks opened the second quarter with 15 consecutive points.Portis, who had gone 1 of 12 from 3-point range this month, shot 5 of 6 on Thursday.
In his first game in Milwaukee since the Bucks traded him in September for Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, Holiday scored six points on 2 of 9 shooting. Portland traded him to the Celtics days later.
Holiday was a 2020–23 Bucks player and 2021 champion. He played his old squad on Nov. 22 when the Celtics defeated the Bucks 119-116 in Boston.
When a commemorative video appeared on the Fiserv Forum scoreboard during the game’s first timeout, Holiday earned a standing ovation.
Up next
Saturday: Celtics host Rockets.
The Bucks host the Warriors on Saturday.