Bucks top Celtics in a frantic finish
Bucks 103, Celtics 101: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and made the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left and the host Milwaukee Bucks withstood a frantic flurry of shots in the final seconds to beat the Boston Celtics on Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
The defending champion Bucks lead the best-of-7 series 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday night in Milwaukee.
Boston trailed 103-100 when Marcus Smart was fouled by Jrue Holiday just before attempting a potential tying 3pointer with 4.6 seconds remaining. Smart made the first free throw, then missed the second intentionally – flinging it at the rim.
That’s when things got wild.
Smart got the rebound but missed his putback attempt. Boston’s Robert Williams got that rebound but also missed. Boston’s Al Horford was just to the right of the basket when he converted his putback opportunity, but the shot came just after the buzzer sounded. Replays confirmed Horford didn’t beat the clock.
Antetokounmpo also had 12 rebounds and eight assists. His driving finger roll helped the Bucks pull back ahead after blowing a 14-point lead.
After trailing by 13 with less than 10 minutes left, the Celtics pulled ahead 100-99 and took their first lead since early in their third quarter on Jaylen Brown’s two free throws with 1:49 remaining.
Both teams failed to score on their next possessions before Antetokounmpo put the Bucks back ahead. Antetokounmpo then blocked Brown’s driving layup attempt, leading to Holiday’s basket that made it 103-100 with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Holiday had 25 points.
Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds.
Warriors 142, Grizzlies 112: Stephen
Curry scored 30 points, Klay Thompson had 21 and nine rebounds and host Golden State shut down Ja Morant’s supporting cast to embarrass Memphis for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Morant’s 3 just before the halftime buzzer got the Grizzlies to 64-57 at the break and gave him 17 of his 34 points after a 47-point performance in Game 2. But Morant couldn’t do it alone for Memphis, and he was done after rubbing his tender right knee and limping off with 6:19 to play before heading to the locker room.
Still bothered by Dillon Brooks’ hard foul in Game 2 that sidelined Gary Payton II, Draymond Green and Golden State kept cool from the opening tip – methodically running away with it. Instead, Memphis forward Kyle Anderson got ejected with 6:19 left for arguing an offensive foul.
Jordan Poole scored 27 points off the bench and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points for Golden State.