Celtics show Bucks the door from play-offs
Rozier and Horford contribute with 26 points each
Terry Rozier and Al Horford scored 26 points each as the Boston Celtics routed the Milwaukee Bucks 112-96 in game seven to book their spot in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics’ victory in Saturday’s deciding game was their fourth win at the Boston Garden as the home teams won all seven games in the Eastern Conference firstround series.
The storied Celtics franchise is now 36-0 lifetime when leading a playoff series 2-0 and they will try to make it 37 straight when they face the Philadelphia 76ers in the next round. Game one is today in Boston. Jayson Tatum tallied 20 points for Celtics.
The loss means the elimination of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the play-offs. Antetokounmpo, whose blend of size and athleticism has earned him the nickname the “Greek Freak,” finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Khris Middleton scored 32 and Eric Bledsoe chipped 23 in the loss. Boston led 50-42 at the half despite going onefor-12 from beyond the arc.
Horford had 14 points and seven rebounds at halftime
The Celtics’ win in Saturday’s deciding game was their fourth win at the Boston Garden as the home teams won all seven games in the Eastern Conference firstround series.
while Bledsoe paced the Milwaukee attack with 12 points.
The Bucks narrowed the Boston lead to three points early in the third but Boston scored 11 of the last 15 points in the quarter to seize command.
“We’re going to have to play great,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who was already without wouldbe starters Gordon Heyward and Kyrie Irving when Jaylen Brown left Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. “That’s just another thing. Somebody else is going to have to step up and play great. But we’ll get ready.”
Khris Middleton scored 32, Bledsoe had 23 and Antetokounmpo had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks. Milwaukee has advanced from the first round of the play-offs just once since 1989.