Celtics

After a devastating defeat on their home floor, the Celtics have to regroup and knock off the defending champions in Milwaukee to save their season.

Tatum then earned a trip to the free-throw line, where he made both foul shots to regain the lead for Boston, 107-105, with 31.1 seconds remaining. Operating against a defense that had to reset itself also helped the Bucks shoot 6/6 on fourth-quarter threes. The Celtics also did a great job with their initial defense against the defending champions. After that, Holiday knocked down a three and Tatum went 1/2 at the free-throw line, making it a 96-85 game in favor of the hosts. Holiday bricked a shot from beyond the arc, but Allen corralled the miss, and Lopez knocked down a mid-range jumper to make it a one-point game, 60-59, with 7:38 remaining. At the 3:34 mark, Brown drilled a pull-up jumper from 19-feet, extending Boston's advantage to 73-68. That extended Boston's advantage to 101-95, and coach Budenholzer took a timeout. After the timeout, Milwaukee had a terrific possession, moving the ball, ultimately turning a paint touch from Holiday into an open three for Connaughton from above the break. White nearly got a fast-break layup at the buzzer, his fingertips were on the ball, and it correctly got waved off. That was the score as the quarter came to a close. It also extended Boston's advantage to 51-38 and forced Mike Budenholzer to take a timeout. Tatum buried a three to put Boston ahead 33-32 with 10:24 left.

BOSTON – The Milwaukee Bucks will head home with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after a stirring 110-107 comeback victory over the ...

The early threes helped Milwaukee build a seven-point lead and it maintained a slight edge on the scoreboard throughout the opening 12 minutes, but the game turned in the second quarter as White and Theis keyed the Celtics' effort in the second. Brown went 6 for 10 from the field – including several tough makes – to score 16 points and keep the Bucks at arm’s length. The Celtics also scored 11 points off nine Bucks turnovers while turning it over just twice as they lead by as many 13 in the first half. Smart finished with 15 while Daniel Theis (11) and Derrick White (nine) provided a spark off the bench. "Big time, big time play, great block and was able to keep his balance and stay on the court," Antetokounmpo said. "I thought Giannis as a play-maker, Giannis as a backside facilitator got us to some good things. It just takes a little bit of everything to flip a 13 or 14-point game. We have one at home and hopefully we can go there and put ourselves in position to win, enjoy the game as much as possible, compete and play good basketball." "Then at the end of the game he got that steal again from Marcus Smart. Big time plays down the stretch. First, Portis assisted on a Holiday three-pointer to tie the game at 105 with 41 seconds left. Off the ensuing inbound, Holiday literally took the ball out of Marcus Smart’s hands as the Boston guard tried to shoot it, ripping it out of the air. Holiday then clinched it by stealing the ball from Smart.

Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart explained, from his point of view, what went wrong for the team on one of its final possessions in Game 5 of the ...

"JT [Tatum] was supposed to come and get it but everyone was just standing around," Smart said. "We had no timeouts, there was a 5-second count, I just got open and tried to make a play. According to Smart, the play was designed for Jayson Tatum but from Smart's perspective, everyone ahead seemed to be standing around.

Los Celtics han recuperado la ventaja de jugar en casa cuando la serie regresa a Boston para el Juego 5 contra los Milwaukee Bucks a las 7 p.m. el ...

Aquí encontrará todo lo que necesita saber para ver el Juego 5 de los Celtics vs. Celtics Pregame Live comienza en NBC Sports Boston a las 6 p.m. ET. Mire el programa en vivo aquí y en la aplicación MyTeams. Los Celtics han recuperado la ventaja de jugar en casa cuando la serie regresa a Boston para el Juego 5 contra los Milwaukee Bucks a las 7 p.m. el miércoles.

Los Milwaukee Bucks supieron sufrir para sacar un triunfo de oro en casa de los Boston Celtics; pusieron la serie 3-2 a su favor.

El que resulte airoso chocará en la antesala de las Finales de la NBA ante el ganador del cruce entre los Miami Heat y Philadelphia Sixers, que por ahora tiene a los de la Florida adelante 3-2. Los Bucks lideran ahora la serie por un global de 3-2 y tendrán su primera oportunidad de clasificar en el sexto partido que se disputará el viernes ante su público del Fiserv Forum. Los Milwaukee Bucks, vigentes campeones de la NBA, salieron el miércoles airosos de una batalla en la cancha de los Boston Celtics por 110-107 y están a un triunfo de avanzar a las Finales de la Conferencia Este.

The Milwaukee Bucks are one win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference finals after pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback against the Boston Celtics at ...

what a series for the veteran They didn't do any of that in the final few minutes, and they paid the price. Sometimes you miss shots, but that wasn't the issue for Boston. Rather, it was that they resorted to the methodical and predictable late-game offense that plagued them early in the season. There were plenty of reasons for the Celtics' collapse, a number of which have been detailed above. Those kind of plays are exactly why the Bucks traded for Holiday prior to last season. Even then, the game wasn't over. After Portis put the Bucks ahead with 11.4 seconds remaining, the Celtics still had a chance to win the game or at least go back in front. Marcus Smart was named Defensive Player of the Year this season, becoming the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996. Eight of the Bucks' whopping 17 offensive rebounds came in the fourth quarter, and nine of their 20 second-chance points came in the frame. Instead, the Bucks were able to hang around. The Milwaukee Bucks are one win away from a berth in the Eastern Conference finals after pulling off a fourth-quarter comeback against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Game 5 of their best-of-seven series on Wednesday night. Instead, they turned around a 14-point deficit thanks to some big-time shot making, a dominant performance on the offensive glass and a little bit of luck.

Bobby Portis encestó después de que Giannis Antetokounmpo falló su tiro libre a 15 segundos del final y Jrue Holiday detuvo a Marcus Smart en las últimas ...

Jayson Tatum terminó con 34 unidades, incluyendo un par de tiros libres para que Boston recuperara la ventaja. Pero nos confluimos”, admitió Holiday, quien también encestó el triple del empate a 43 segundos del final. Giannis Antetokounmpo tenía una de las mejores noches encestadoras en la postemporada.

Milwaukee Bucks venció 110-107 a Boston Celtics para ponerse a un triunfo de avanzar a las Finales de Oeste en los playoffs de la NBA.

Con cinco segundos por jugar, Smartmovió el balón para que Boston se colocara en posición de triple y buscara el balón, pero Holiday le robó el esférico por segunda ocasión y se consumó el reloj. Urgido por detener el reloj, Derrick White cometió falta sobre Pat Connaughton, quien acertó sus dos tiros de campo desde la línea de libres y colocó a los Bucks con 110 puntos en el electrónico. Pero Bobby Portis atrapó el rebote ofensivo, sumó un doble y colocó a los Bucks con la delantera.

In a wild, unpredictable NBA playoffs—the Grizzlies beat the Warriors by how many?—this game may top them all. Ten minutes to play, Boston up 14 and this game ...

The Bucks surrendered nine points in the final eight minutes. That we are going to make the extra pass. It’s the Bad Boy’s Pistons vs. The rest of the Bucks scored four. I believe everyone has the trust in one another that we are going to make the right play. That we are going to always be there no matter what the outcome is. They could have folded in the fourth quarter. A Holiday steal of Smart in the final seconds ended the game. Early in Game 5, the Bucks attempted to move the ball around. He scored 34 in a Game 4 loss. Al Horford, the hero of Game 4, had eight. He scored 42 points in a Game 3 win.

BOSTON (CBS) — It happened so fast, making the sting of defeat all the more painful. The Celtics completely collapsed down the stretch in Game 5 against the ...

If you play that bad in crunch time, at home, in the playoffs, you don’t deserve to win, and you certainly don’t deserve to advance. If the Celtics believe they’re the better team in this series, they need to show it in every way possible. Just have to win the next game, honestly.” The little things matter in the playoffs, and the Celtics didn’t do any of them in the final minutes of Game 5. The Celtics are saying all the right things after such a crushing loss. Boston had five turnovers in the first three quarters on Wednesday, and then turned it over five times in the fourth quarter. If you’re not ready to play the next game, don’t step on that court. The Celtics shot just 3-for-11 and scored nine points over the final eight minutes of the game.READ MORE: After Jayson Tatum put Boston back on top with a pair of free throws, Giannis got to the line on the other end with 14.2 seconds left. His baseline layup attempt was blocked by Holiday, and after a pair of Pat Connaughton free throws, Smart (again, where was Tatum?) turned it over to end the game. Then the Celtics let it all slip away in embarrassing fashion. The TD Garden was rocking, and a victory was right there.

So, what happened? "We box out, we win the game," Celtics guard Marcus Smart lamented after watching Milwaukee storm back to hand Boston a stunning 110-107 loss ...

"They had 17 (offensive boards) for 20 second-chance points, and a large majority of those came in the second half." But if they lose the offensive boards battle, there's a good chance their season ends Friday night. Milwaukee's massive frontcourt of Brook Lopez, Antetokounmpo and Portis have feasted in the paint against Boston's smaller lineups, leading the Bucks to a 58-to-37 edge in offensive rebounds for the series. But in Game 5, that "advantage" was negated by the Bucks repeatedly getting second chances on offense after Boston failed to grab rebounds. In their last two games without big man Robert Williams, the Celtics have been outrebounded 30-9 on the offensive glass. But the ball ricocheted off Smart to Milwaukee's Bobby Portis, who converted his seventh offensive rebound into a go-ahead layup.

BOSTON -- — Bobby Portis made a putback off Giannis Antetokounmpo's missed free throw with 15 seconds left, Jrue Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Boston's ...

“He’s done a little bit on the court and we’re feeling good about where he is and optimistic,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Pat Connaughton made a pair of free throws with six seconds left, then Holiday stole the ball from Smart on his desperation dash for a potential game-tying 3-pointer. It was 93-79 with 10:19 to play — Boston's biggest blown lead in the playoffs in more than 25 years. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft were also at the game. And still the Bucks trailed Boston by 14 points in a game that could send the defending NBA champions to the brink of elimination. He’s a winner.” The Bucks can advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a victory in Game 6 at home Friday night. Milwaukee remained without Khris Middleton, who has done some on-court work as he attempts to come back from a sprained left knee. ”He’s a winner. "We talked about showing our resolve, and we made it tougher on ourselves now. Holiday finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Portis added 14 points and 15 rebounds. But we come together,” said Holiday, who also hit the tying 3-pointer with 43 seconds left.

Bobby Portis was just 1 of the many heroes who step up for Milwaukee down the stretch as it rallies from 14 down in the 4th.

But keep in mind that the Celtics played solidly in Milwaukee, losing by only two in Game 3 and winning Game 4. The Bucks also lost at home to the Bulls in the first round. The Bucks don’t win this game without his sense of smell. So the series shifts back to Milwaukee Friday for Game 6 ( 7:30 ET, ESPN), and the Deer District will overflow and Fiserv Forum will shake in anticipation of the Bucks ending Boston’s season. When Giannis rolls like that, Boston’s defense must gamble on double-teams more often, and that’s why Pat Connaughton and Wesley Matthews were left open to hit important shots as the Bucks made their fourth-quarter run. Offensive rebounding is a lost art in today’s game, sacrificed by the emphasis on spacing the floor. With 15 rebounds, Portis was a problem on the glass all night. It should not be lost that Holiday did this against the freshly-minted Kia Defensive Player of the Year. This game was a copy of what Holiday was like in last year’s Finals, when he shot poorly at times, made some errors… Of course, the biggest was his aforementioned putback, made possible when the Celtics tripped over themselves trying to secure the rebound. The Bucks were down six points with 1:40 left when Giannis drilled a 3 from the top of the key, mainly because the Celtics, perhaps by instinct, left him open from there. OK, here comes the part where missing the second of two free throws with 14.2 seconds left while trailing by one was actually good for Milwaukee. Giannis is shooting 60% from the line this series, and when he was fouled, all of Milwaukee held its collective breath. Oh, and then he victimized Smart again by stripping him in the final seconds to preserve the three-point win.

The defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks were on the verge of defeat and a 3-2 series deficit against the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference ...

Tatum had an off game shooting (12-for-29 from the field and 2-for-11 on 3s) but still managed 34 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Connaughton had eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. The Celtics shot 51.2% from the field, yet lost. Milwaukee shot just 43.5% from the field but 44.8% on 3s, and the Bucks outscored the Celtics 20-13 in second-chance points and 16-13 on points off turnovers. He also had 11 rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. Khris Middleton’s absence due to a sprained left knee was notable before the series began and glaring through five games.

It was a rough stretch to close the game for the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He had two turnovers in the final minute, and was also one of two ...

“We were hot,” he said, “We know we did it to ourselves. Tip-off time is still to be announced, but pregame coverage will begin 30 minutes before the official start of the game on the 98.5 The Sports Hub Celtics Radio Network. We don’t have time to worry about ‘ah we lost and right now it hurts.’ We don’t have time for that. [Jaylen Brown] had a ball, and me and JB run into each other and Portis is in the right spot in the right time and it lands in his lap and he just lays it up. However, after the game he was the one answering questions about some of the game’s most pivotal plays. And on most of those plays, Marcus Smart was at the center.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and Bobby Portis hit the game winner, but Jrue Holiday's defense was the difference on Wednesday night.

The Bucks were on the ropes a handful of times, and Antetokounmpo's basket attacks kept them in the game. Within seconds, Holiday was in Antetokounmpo's arms, and the Bucks were one win from taking this tremendous series. But Holiday gathered the ball and managed to throw it off of Smart to retain possession and finish off one of the most graceful thefts you'll ever see. Holiday was right; in fact, Smart never even saw the blur wearing No. 21 that cleanly ripped the shot out of his hands before it could enter Celtics lore as a game winner. Holiday was defending Jaylen Brown, who scored 16 of his 26 points in the third quarter. The Bucks traded three first-round picks for Holiday in 2020 -- a deal for a then-30-year-old guard that was questioned at the time -- and eventually signed him to a $135 million extension last year.

The Celtics fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 5 and dropped a costly loss to the Bucks, falling behind 3-2 in their series.

The ones in Game 5 will now be a distant memory. 4. Derrick White had a nice evening, particularly in the first half as the Celtics tried to hold serve against the Bucks’ early onslaught of 3-pointers. One wonders if Mike Budenholzer saw the Celtics pining for calls and saw an opportunity to take advantage. The Celtics learned a tough lesson about finishing the job on Wednesday. Portis grabbed a loose ball, tipped by Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown, and put it back up and in to give the Bucks a one-point lead. “We got a game Friday night,” Tatum said. There’s no way around it, it was a tough loss. “Everybody was just standing around and we had no timeouts, and there was a five-second count on the way, so I just got open and tried to make a play,” Smart said. That was the first sign of a problem. The shell-shocked Celtics couldn’t score again, and Smart was stripped trying to advance the ball in the final seconds. The Celtics spent most of the fourth quarter playing not to lose after building a 14-point lead with plenty of time remaining. The Bucks finished Game 5 with 17, and the big one was pulled down by Bobby Portis, who happened to be in the right place at the right time when Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a crucial free throw.

The Celtics fell short Tuesday night with a disappointing loss to the Bucks, leaving Milwaukee with a 3-2 advantage in a best of seven series and a ...

But the C's just couldn’t close it out, leaving the Bucks with the opportunity to erase a 14-point deficit and beat the Celtics 110-107. "Just weren’t able to get it out tonight.” Milwaukee dominated on the boards.

Nicolas Batum sent out a tweet about Jrue Holiday on Wednesday night during Game 5 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

- GIANNIS MEETS WITH MEDIA AFTER GAME 4 LOSS: The Milwaukee Bucks had a tough loss at home to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Monday night. The Warriors now lead the series 3-1.CLICK HERE. The Bucks now can closeout the series in Game 6 in Wisconsin.

The Celtics are a resilient team, but they need to win their next two games or they'll head into the offseason.

A second-round loss to the defending champs is far from a failure — especially considering the 18-21 start to the season. The Celtics clearly have the mental fortitude to play the Bucks tough on the road. Just like Smart said, the Bucks “did to us what we did to them the last game.” The Celtics, of course, have the juice to knock off the defending champs. And every single time the Celtics stared in the Bucks’ face in a crucial game, they delivered. “It was an opportunity tonight but gotta go to Milwaukee, take it one game at a time and try to bring it back here.”

The Eastern Conference semi-final moves back to Bean Town for Game 5 in a back-and-forth series that stands at two games apiece.

Giannis turns in the paint and hits for two to bring it to 11-8 The Celtics take it up the court and miss the three. The Celtics are calm throughout the attack and the crowd starts to get into the game. Al Horford and Giannis both preparing to come back into the game. Giannis gets the ball back and drives on the bucket, drawing the foul. They jump it at center court and the Bucks get it back. As we get going again, Allen drives it in for the Bucks and gets the bucket and the foul. Holiday gets the rebound and hits the three to make it 55-58 But Portis gets the rebound and sinks it to give the Bucks the lead! Milwaukee has the ball and give it away. He heads to the line and makes it a three point game. The Bucks will now take the series back home for Game 6, up by 3-2 and have a chance to put it away.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics by a score of 110-107 on Wednesday night to take Game 5 of their second-round playoff series.

- GIANNIS MEETS WITH MEDIA AFTER GAME 4 LOSS: The Milwaukee Bucks had a tough loss at home to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series on Monday night. The Warriors now lead the series 3-1.CLICK HERE. They now have a 3-2 lead in the series, so a win in Game 6 in Wisconsin can end the series.

From Marcus Smart faking out George Hill to Jaylen Brown's alley-oop to Jayson Tatum, Brown showing off his range as he beats the shot clock, ...

He quickly gets it to Brown, who had the hot hand, already scoring 13 points in the third quarter. Holiday tries to snake through Al Horford and Smart, but he loses the ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo comes to screen for Jrue Holiday at the left-wing.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are each capable of winning the championship this season. Anyone invested in their second round series in the 2022 ...

If Milwaukee wins the series — heck, if Milwaukee repeats as champions — we’ll look back at this game as a true turning point. Holiday was there to greet him and steal the ball to cement the win for Milwaukee. Milwaukee gashed Boston on the offensive glass all night, and this was the one that really hurt. The Celtics could have put a major dent into the idea of this being The Giannis Era by winning Game 5. With the Celtics trailing by one and inbounding the ball with 11 seconds left, Marcus Smart received the inbounds pass and turned the corner looking for the go-ahead layup. The Celtics can certainly still win this series, and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see them win the title. Somehow, the Bucks pulled off the comeback, with the best player on Earth finishing with 40 points and 11 rebounds in the win. But given how important it has been historically to win Game 5, it certainly feels like the Bucks are now in control. Antetokounmpo suffered a scary knee injury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but returned for the NBA Finals, and dragged his team out of an 0-2 series hole to win the championship. With the series set to return to Milwaukee for Game 6, there’s was no denying that Wednesday night’s matchup was going to be monumental. Giannis Antetokounmpo stamped himself as the best player in the world during his run to the championship in 2021. When a series is tied 2-2 in the NBA playoffs, the team that wins Game 5 wins the series 83 percent of the time.

It was a wild night in the NBA playoffs, but probably not in the way you expected.

The Warriors barely snuck by the Morant-less Grizzlies in Game 4 in San Francisco, then they turned in this effort with a chance to close things out. You can argue that the Bucks got lucky on this play, and others. - Quinn: "Let's focus on the competitive portion of the game, which was the first three quarters. ... All told, the Bucks went a perfect 6-for-6 from downtown in the fourth quarter. - Maloney: "They turned around a 14-point deficit thanks to some big-time shot making, a dominant performance on the offensive glass and a little bit of luck. It could be coming sooner rather than later, given how the schedule reveal has evolved. Memphis dominated Golden State so thoroughly last night that the final score looks like a misprint: Grizzlies 134, Warriors 95. To sign up and get this in your inbox, fill out the information below. More on that luck in just a second... Never underestimate the heart of a champion. You had high-quality shot making on both ends of the court from the game's biggest stars, Al Horford with another age-defying dunk, Antetokounmpo momentarily playing with blood running down his face after taking an elbow, and, ultimately, a stunning comeback from the defending champs that showed they're not quite ready to give up their crown just yet. Then, after two Pat Connaughtonfree throws, Holiday stole the ball from Smart to seal the game.

Bets and analysis for Wednesday's Game 5s featuring the Warriors looking to close out the Grizzlies and the Celtics hosting the Bucks.

Morant (knee) is likely out for the rest of the playoffs and that could mean just one more game if Memphis doesn’t defend its home court. I really want to pick the Grizzlies. This team has shown how well it can play without Morant. It went 20-5 in the regular season without its superstar and pushed the Finals favorite for 95% of the last game without him. (Mike Brown coached the team in Game 4 with Kerr out with COVID-19 and will coach Game 5. Without Morant’s offense, the Grizzlies failed to break 100 points for the first time in the playoffs. Of all people, it was Otto Porter Jr. who led the comeback with some shocking three-pointers and Steph Curry brought the game home in the final quarter. If Holiday can either shoot better or simply less, the Bucks stand a good chance of taking the series edge. If Antetokounmpo doesn’t have an all-time performance, the Bucks have little chance of winning—he had 34 points and 18 rebounds in the Game 4 collapse. I expect Milwaukee to keep this game close, if it doesn’t win outright. Horford was the Game 4 hero and he’s been sensational from the arc, having sunk 14 threes in four games. The Warriors and Grizzlies also meet for Game 5 with Golden State holding a 3-1 series advantage. Antetokounmpo’s efficiency has taken a toll as he takes more and more shots with each passing game to make up for the fact that his team, at least in this series, hasn’t had a reliable second option. Regardless of how evenly matched these teams have been through four games, Game 5 is historically pivotal to deciding the series.

BOSTON — A second look at the Celtics' dramatic 110-107 Game 5 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks made one thing clear: This was a team loss.

There’s still a chance at redemption on Friday night in Milwaukee but the margin for error is thinner than ever. Still, it’s hard to ignore how the biggest blunders of the game came from Smart once again in what could become a season defining loss for the Celtics. The Celtics need Smart for his top-level defense, passing and ability to knock down an open 3. Smart gets the ball back from Horford after an inbounds but fails to spot a wide open Tatum streaking up the floor. However, they also need him to be willing to create for others more than himself when a game is on the line. After the freak collision on the defensive rebound (not worth assigning blame there for two guys hustling to secure the ball), the Celtics had a chance to re-take the lead. “But everybody was just standing around and we had no timeouts, and there was a five-second count on the way, so I just got open and tried to make a play. Smart brings the ball up and runs the clock before getting a screen from Al Horford as the Celtics target Bobby Portis in the pick-and-roll. Tunnel vision here hurt Smart as Pat Connaughton and Jrue Holiday collapsed on his drive, keeping Boston’s best offensive players from touching the ball at a critical point. That brings us to perhaps the most egregious part of this sequence: Smart and Jaylen Brown not busting ass up the floor. They were probably gassed at this stage but they were running like it was a regular season Wednesday night game, not a potential ticket to the East Finals. Both drift aimlessly into the paint, failing to pick up a trailing and red-hot Jrue Holiday at the 3-point line in a 3-point game. By this point, Smart is back in the play feeling well enough to box out Bobby Portis do low but it doesn’t matter. However, like countless moments in years past, Marcus Smart became involved quite prominently for the Celtics in crunch time on the offensive end of the floor.

Someone should check on Bill Simmons after the Celtics suffered a crushing loss to the Bucks on Wednesday in Game 5 of their conference semifinals series.

Simmons snapped a photo with a fan before the game, in which the sports analyst appeared much happier. Lucky for Simmons, the latter hit, as Tatum dropped 34 points to go with six rebounds and four assists. To make matters worse, Simmons had tweeted before the game that he had bet on the Celtics to win, with Jayson Tatum scoring 25 plus points.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics face off on Friday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in Game 6 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Celtics vs. Warriors vs. Mavs vs. Celtics vs. Warriors vs. Mavs vs. - 76ers vs. - 76ers vs. Clive Smith writes: "We have the Celtics (+1.5) as the best bet in this contest. If the Celtics tighten up on the boards, I like the Celtics to force a Game 7." The Celtics won in the paint, scored more in the fast break, and overall shot better from the foul line. The Celtics better hope Robert Williams is available for Game 6.

Marcus Smart's reaction to Jrue Holiday's steal in the final moments of a huge playoff game is now an internet meme.

Those in Milwaukee, naturally, took notice, particularly because Smart was named this year's NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Holiday, also acclaimed for his defense, took eighth in the voting. But Holiday's steal and block against Smart proved to be two gargantuan moments. Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart reacted like a firecracker had gone off nearby when Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday stepped forward and simply took the ball away in the final moments Wednesday in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, helping Milwaukee seal a 110-107 win in Boston and take a 3-2 lead in the series.

This article was composed prior to the Boston Celtics disappointing loss in game 5 versus the Milwaukee Bucks. That loss, however disappointing it may be, ...

With Thursday’s NBA announcement of the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Award, the Celtics can cement Big Al as the award named after Larry Legend will arguably be handed to a Boston Celtic for it’s inaugural recipient and how fitting that would be. “Celtics Lore,” “Celtics Mystique…” They’ve become almost cliché over the decades but leave it to CLNS’ very own Bobby Manning to be the first of this 2022 Boston Celtics playoff run to label a play or moment as “going down in Celtics Lore.” This article was composed prior to the Boston Celtics disappointing loss in game 5 versus the Milwaukee Bucks. That loss, however disappointing it may be, cannot allow Al Horford’s epic game 4 become a dismissed “feel good moment.” If in fact the Celtics swing back on Friday forcing a game 7, it can become the defining moment of the 7-game series.

One fan was provided a cushion to see over the former Boston fan favorite, but that only led to more issues.

Add in the fact that the Celtics suffered a devastating loss, and this probably isn't what the courtside fans hoped for when they arrived at the arena. Former Celtics fan favorite Tacko Fall was at the TD Garden to watch the game, and he was fortunate enough to get a front-row seat just below one of the baskets on the baseline. The TNT broadcast even noted how difficult it must have been for the fans behind Fall to see any of the game action. Fall played for the Celtics for the first two seasons of his career, averaging 2.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks over 26 games, before playing 11 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. He's also been productive in extended minutes in the G League, averaging 14.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 26 games with the Cleveland Charge this season. Presumably tired and/or out of seat cushions, the Garden staff decided they had done all they could and the third-row fan had to maintain a slight lean for the duration of the game.

Game 6 between the Bucks and Celtics in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series is Wednesday. Here's who the oddsmakers like.

They list the Bucks as a 1.5-point favorite. If the Celtics tighten up on the boards, I like the Celtics to force a Game 7." The Celtics better hope Robert Williams is available for Game 6. The Celtics won in the paint, scored more in the fast break, and overall shot better from the foul line. But Milwaukee nailed 44.8% from deep while the Celtics shot just 32.3% from long range in Game 5. Larry Rupp wrote: "Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken over this series over the last three games.

Overcoming adversity has been the story of the 2021-22 Celtics. As our Chris Forsberg writes, the biggest lingering question after the C's let Game 5 slip ...

The ever-present threat of a big Antetokounmpo performance is there but the Celtics have more overall top-line talent in this series given the absence of Middleton. This team is still learning as a group but they must figure it out on the fly. But the opportunity is still there for the Celtics. Tatum still hasn’t had one of his signature big nights in this series. But Boston simply has a nasty habit of downshifting at inopportune times because they are too content with the effort that put them in an ideal spot. The vibes in the series will feel a lot different if Boston is coming home for a pivotal Game 7 than they do in the aftermath of squandered Game 5 -- especially after the Bucks essentially elected to slip to No. 3 in the East and punted on homecourt advantage in this instance by downshifting at the finish line of the regular season. Even in this series they’ve had to navigate at times without Smart and Robert Williams and both of their wins have come shorthanded. Part of the reason bowing at this stage would be so infuriating is that the race for the NBA title feels wide open among the eight remaining teams. Here are Milwaukee’s halfcourt offensive ratings for the first five games: 75.6, 91.4, 75.6, 94.3, and 87.8. If the Celtics don’t shoot themselves in the foot -- or allow someone other than Antetokounmpo to erupt for a big night -- it feels like 100+ points should be enough to win. But the Celtics can’t let their foot off the gas for even a second. Holiday was a defensive menace in the final moments, twice swarming Marcus Smart, the Defensive Player of the Year, on last-gasp opportunities. Historical odds of fighting back in this series are not nearly as bullish as the eye test. The Celtics must topple the defending champs in consecutive games, including Friday’s Game 6 in Milwaukee, or an improbable second-half surge will end with the whimper of a second-round exit.