Bucks edge Celtics after frantic final second

MILWAUKEE » Giannis Antetokounmpo found a way to get better shots and recapture his peak form just in time to help the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks regain the lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But it was the Boston Celtics’ bad timing that made the difference in the end.

Antetokounmpo bounced back from a rare subpar performance by scoring 42 points and making the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left in a 103101 victory Saturday. The Bucks lead the best-of-7 series 2-1.

“I know what my strengths are” Antetokounmpo said. “Just try to read what’s in front of me and just play with my instincts . ... ;”

The victory wasn’t secure until replays confirmed Al Horford’s potential tying putback — capping a wild sequence after Marcus Smart intentionally missed a free throw — came just after the buzzer.

Boston trailed 103-100 when Marcus Smart was fouled by Jrue Holiday just before attempting a potential tying 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left. Smart made the first free throw, then missed the second intentionally — flinging the ball hard off the backboard before it hit the rim.

That’s when things got wild. Smart got the rebound, but missed his putback. Boston’s Robert Williams sent the ball up and off the glass. Al Horford was waiting on the right side with a putback that also went off the glass. Horford then got his own rebound and banked it in, just after the buzzer sounded.

“Missed it perfectly,” Smart said. “Nobody was ready, (but) our guys were . ... We had a few chances at it. Just didn’t work out for us.”