Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard powered the Boston Celtics to a 119-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, extending the Bucks’ losing streak to three games. Brown led the Celtics with 30 points, while Pritchard provided a spark off the bench, hitting eight three-pointers en route to 28 points, falling just one shy of his career-high in threes.
The Celtics, who now stand at 4-0, saw key contributions from Jayson Tatum, who added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Derrick White, who chipped in 13 points alongside eight assists. The win underscored Boston’s reliance on perimeter shooting, with the team making 18 of their 47 three-point attempts, continuing a trend that helped them tie the NBA record for threes made in a game earlier this season.
For the Bucks, Damian Lillard led all scorers with 33 points, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a double-double, contributing 30 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Celtics’ late surge. Despite a competitive first half, Milwaukee faltered in the third quarter when Boston went on an 18-2 run, turning a tight game into a double-digit lead.
Boston’s defense tightened up after halftime, holding Milwaukee scoreless during a crucial stretch that saw the Celtics extend their lead to 15 points. Pritchard’s timely shooting and Brown’s consistency kept Milwaukee from closing the gap, allowing Boston to control the game in the final minutes.
The Bucks, coming off a 13-point loss to Brooklyn on Sunday, fought hard despite missing Khris Middleton, who was out due to injury. While Milwaukee showed resilience in the first three quarters, the absence of Middleton, combined with Boston’s effective outside shooting, proved too much to overcome.
