C’s fail to guard streak
Undermanned crew falls short vs. Bucks
MILWAUKEE — The point guard rotation started with Kadeem Allen and, in varying degrees, continued through Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and, during several especially progressive sequences, Greg Monroe.
And Marcus Morris ran the pick-and-roll. But with the top four point guards in Brad Stevens’ rotation on ice last night, including Terry Rozier with a left ankle sprain and Shane Larkin with an illness, the Celtics’ six-game win streak finally broke in a 106-102 loss to Milwaukee.
The Celtics missed an opportunity to gain ground on conference-leading Toronto, a loser in Cleveland last night and the C’s opponent tonight at the Air Canada Centre. They remain two games behind the Raptors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was covered effectively for most of the night by Horford, but also had a major hand down the stretch, finishing with 29 points, including a game-sealing block of Brown with 53.4 seconds left that would have cut the Bucks lead to three points.
Brown led the Celtics with 24 points, followed by Tatum’s 20.
Tatum beat Jabari Parker off the dribble for a dunk with 22 seconds left, cutting the Milwaukee lead to 103-100.
Milwaukee successfully broke a Celtics press, with Antetokounmpo getting fouled and hitting twice with 13.6 seconds left for a 105-100 lead.
Tatum stepped out of bounds with nine seconds left trying to find space for a 3-pointer, ending the streak.
Antetokounmpo’s transition drive, after first winning a jump ball against Aron Baynes, gave the Bucks a 94-89 lead with 5:09 left.
Morris was only able to hit the first of two free throws, and Antetokounmpo slashed to the hoop for his sixth straight point and a 96-90 Bucks lead.
The Celtics punted away their next two possessions with turnovers, but after Antetokounmpo was called for a dribbling violation, Brown hit a 15-foot fadeaway.
Eric Bledsoe answered from downtown, but Horford’s 3-pointer cut the Bucks lead to four points.
But Khris Middleton dunked off the break after a Morris miss for a 101-95 lead, and Tatum could only hit the second of two free throws, leaving the Celtics down by five points with 1:18 left.
Brown stole the ball, Antetokounmpo chased him down with a block that was initially called a goaltend, but overturned by video review.
Bledsoe drove for a 10396 Milwaukee lead with 36 seconds left.
This time Tatum hit twice with 31.5 seconds left, cutting the Milwaukee lead to 103-98, and the Bucks botched an inbounds play.
The Celtics took possession with 30.7 seconds left, and Tatum beat Parker off the dribble for a dunk, cutting the Bucks lead to 103100.
The Celtics lost ground in the third, mainly as the result of a 13-1 run that staked the Bucks to a 79-71 lead by the end of the quarter.
The Bucks also started the fourth in good form, with two baskets by old friend Tyler Zeller helping them jump out to an 86-78 lead over the first 2:42 of the quarter.
A quick 4-0 ruin by the Celtics, including a Horford 15-footer that cut the Milwaukee lead to 86-82, made a brief inroad. Bledsoe responded with four straight points off a pair of Antetokounmpo assists. Horford led a 5-0 Celtics burst, this time with a three-point play, and when Antetokounmpo scored, Brown answered with a drive but failed to convert an ensuing free throw.
Antetokounmpo beat Baynes to a jump ball after both tied up the rebound off Brown’s missed free throw, and then scored down the other end with 5:09 left for a 94-89 Milwaukee lead.