The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holiday’s big defensive plays help Bucks take lead in series
Giannis Antetokounmpo was having his best shooting night of the playoffs. Milwaukee dominated on the boards. And still the Bucks trailed Boston by 14 points in a game that could send the defending NBA champions to the brink of elimination.
That’s when Jrue Holiday showed the Defensive Player of the Year a thing or two about defense. Bobby Portis put back Antetokounmpo’s missed free throw with 15 seconds left, and Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Boston’s final two possessions Wednesday as Milwaukee erased a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Celtics 110107 and take a 3-2 series lead.
“Obviously, in Boston you’re down 14 in the fourth quarter, people would say everything’s against us. But we come together,” said Holiday, who also hit the tying 3-pointer with 43 seconds left.
Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 11 rebounds. Holiday finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Portis added 14 points and 15 rebounds. The Bucks can advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a victory in Game 6 at home tonight. Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown had 26 for the Celtics.
The Celtics led 93-79 early in the fourth before the Bucks closed the gap, tying it at 105 with 43 seconds to play on back-to-back 3-pointers from Antetokounmpo and Holiday. Tatum hit a pair of free throws to give Boston back the lead. Antetokounmpo went to the line with a chance to tie it and made the first, then Portis grabbed the rebound of the second and put it in off the backboard to give Milwaukee its first lead since early in the second quarter. Smart drove to the basket but Holiday blocked him and came away with the ball, throwing it off the Celtics guard while falling out of bounds.
Pat Connaughton made two free throws with six seconds left, then Holiday stole the ball from Smart on his desperation dash for a potential game-tying 3-pointer. The Celtics committed eight of their 10 turnovers in the second half.
(At) Grizzlies 134, Warriors 95: Memphis avoided elimination with the highest-scoring performance in franchise postseason history as Allstar guard Ja Morant cheered from the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones each scored 21 points as the Grizzlies forced a sixth game in their Western Conference semifinal series.
Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive, as Memphis outscored Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points.
The Grizzlies never trailed and pulled within 3-2 in the series, even with Morant out a second straight game because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
The Grizzlies pushed their lead to 55 in the third quarter. Their 52-point lead after three tied for the largest in a playoff game in the past 70 years. Game 6 is tonight in San Francisco, where the Warriors have won five straight playoff games and their last seven overall.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 19 points.