Tatum, Celtics push series to Game 7

Jayson Tatum scored 46 points, outdueling Giannis Antetokounmpo and making sure there wouldn’t be another Milwaukee Bucks fourth-quarter comeback, and the Boston Celtics beat the defending champions 10895 on Friday night to force a seventh game in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

The third straight win for a road team sets up a winner-take-all game Sunday in Boston. The victor heads to Miami to begin an East final with the top-seeded Heat on Tuesday.

Boston showed its grit by bouncing back two nights after blowing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in a Game 5 home loss. The Bucks tried to rally again after trailing by 14 points in the final period, but this time Tatum kept the Celtics on top and their season alive.

Antetokounmpo had 44 points, 20 rebounds and six assists.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 and Marcus Smart had 21 for the Celtics, who capitalized on their superiority from three-point range. The Celtics were 17-of-43 and the Bucks 7-of-27 from beyond the arc.

Antetokounmpo tried to lead the Bucks to a second straight improbable comeback.

Boston led 84-70 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and was up 84-73 when officials ruled Grant Williams had drawn a charge for Antetokounmpo’s fifth foul. But the Bucks challenged the call and it was overturned on replay, instead sending Antetokounmpo to the line with four fouls.

Antetokounmpo made both free throws to start an 8-0 run that got the Bucks back into the game. The Bucks trimmed the margin to 85-81 on Antetokounmpo’s three-pointer with 8:42 left.

Tatum wouldn’t let the Bucks get any closer. After that 8-0 Bucks spurt, he scored the Celtics’ next 11 points. Tatum and Brown each hit a three-pointer during an 8-0 spurt that closed with Smart’s jumper that made it 100-87 with 4:20 remaining. Boston maintained a double-digit edge the rest of the way.