At one point, it looked like the Celtics were probably going to go back to Boston with a 3-1 deficit. After Jayson Tatum hit a stepback three to cut the Bucks’ lead to 63-61 with 7:07 left in the third quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo took over and increased their lead to 76-65 with 3:03 left in the period.
Antetokounmpo would finish with 34 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, but he could do nothing as the unlikeliest of people stepped up big for the Boston Celtics. Al Horford decided that enough was enough, and took over in the fourth quarter. Boston’s veteran big man scored 16 points in the final period on the way to totals of 30 points, eight rebounds and three assists while shooting 11 of 14 from the field and 5 of 7 from three. He even dunked the ball on the Greek Freak.
That fourth quarter explosion helped the Celtics outscore the Milwaukee Bucks 42-28 over the final 12 minutes and the game ended in a 116-108 victory for the visitors. That’s helped them regain the home court advantage that they lost after getting blown out in Game 1, and will be an amazing confidence booster in a series that might go down to the wire.
Horford’s big night was matched by Jayson Tatum, who recovered from a dud of a Game 3 with 30 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown scored 18 apiece as well to complete a very strong night from their starters. Smart, in particular, had nine points in the fourth quarter to help Horford out. Smart and Antetokounmpo also came up with a memorable moment that is going to live on in memes for a very very long time.
This series has all the ingredients for an all-time classic, and that’s saying something considering that the Bucks are still missing Khris Middleton. I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen, or who’s going to win the series, but you can bet that I’ll be watching every minute of it. There’s a real sense of dislike between the two teams, and so you know both sides will keep bringing their A-game.
