Wow. The Boston Celtics are going to be shellshocked after losing Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks in front of their fans. They had everything going for them and had even built a 14-point lead, their highest of the game, with only 10:16 left in the fourth quarter.
However, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had been playing with a bleeding eyebrow after taking a hit earlier in the game, and the rest of the Bucks simply would not give up.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 40 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block, and seven turnovers, and was involved in some of game’s most important sequences. With the Bucks down six points, the Greek Freak made a three-pointer to cut their deficit to 105-102. That set the table for a remarkable end to a hard-fought game.
First, Jrue Holiday, made a three-pointer to tie things at 105.
Jayson Tatum, who ended the game with 34 points, six rebounds and four assists while shooting 12 of 29 overall, followed that up with a pair of free throws to make it 107-105 in the Celtics’ favor. That would end up being their last points scored.
Antetokounmpo then split a pair of free throws in the next possession, but Bobby Portis, who didn’t even play in the fourth quarter in the previous game, grabbed a huge offensive rebound off the missed free throw and made the go-ahead bucket with 11.4 seconds left.
It was all Jrue Holiday after that. In an exceptional display of concentration and defense, he made two huge plays that helped end the Celtics’ night. First, he blocked a Marcus Smart attempt at the bucket and had the presence of mind to throw it off Smart to keep possession. Then, after Pat Connaughton hit two free throws to make it 110-107, Holiday then stole the ball from Smart as he was trying to cross the half court line.
I swear, it was one of those stereotypical performances from Holiday, who had struggled all game shooting 9 of 24 from the field. With the game on the on the line, he was ready to step up, and his 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal and two blocks show just how important his contribution was.
The Bucks have shown grit throughout this series, and they’ve had the perfect foe in the Celtics to push them. Now, they’ve got a 3-2 lead and have a chance for a closeout game in front of their fans. Judging from what’s happened in this series so far, there’s no guarantee that they’ll make it out of this series. What a battle it’s going to be, though!
