LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Jaylen Brown erupted for 30 points as the Boston Celtics bounced back to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-86 and level their Eastern Conference playoff series on Tuesday.
Brown produced a masterclass of shooting as the Celtics sprinted away from the NBA champions in a rampant first-half display at the TD Garden which saw them surge into a decisive 65-40 lead.
Brown went 9-for-10 from the field in the first two quarters – including five three -pointers – in a devastating points blitz which left the Bucks scrambling to gain a foothold in the contest.
The 25-year-old shooting guard finished with 30 points, five rebounds and six assists while Jayson Tatum had 29 points with eight assists.
Grant Williams added 21 from the bench as Boston completed a wire-to-wire victory just two days after being humbled 101-89 in game one on Sunday.
“It was one game, we weren’t going to let one game define our season,” Brown said of the Celtics’ response to their game one loss. “We’ve been resilient all year. Playoffs is all about how you respond.
“The first game we got punched in the mouth, but tonight we came back and threw the first punch and we won.”
Despite an improved offensive performance in the third quarter, where Milwaukee outscored the Celtics 26-18, Boston’s high-scoring first-half performance ensured they maintained a comfortable double-digit lead advantage throughout the second half.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks scorers with 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while Jrue Holiday contributed 19.
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton had 13 points each for the Bucks, who will now return to Milwaukee for game three of the best-of-seven series on Saturday.
