March 21, (THEWILL) – Jayson Tatum scored 31 points as the Boston Celtics held off a late fightback from the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks to win 122-119 in a crucial Eastern Conference clash on Wednesday night. The victory extended Boston’s lead atop the East to a commanding 11 games over second-placed Milwaukee.
The Celtics appeared to be cruising after building a 21-point lead late in the third quarter, exploiting the absence of injured Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Milwaukee mounted a blistering fourth-quarter rally, outscoring Boston 36-21 in the final frame to set up a tense finish before the Celtics hung on.
Despite the late wobble, Boston’s balanced offence was on full display, with five players scoring in double figures. Derrick White had 23 points, Jaylen Brown 21, and Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 17. Payton Pritchard added 19 off the bench as the Celtics improved to 55-14 on the season.
For the Bucks, Damian Lillard led the way with 32 points in Antetokounmpo’s absence, while Bobby Portis scored 24 off the bench. Milwaukee fell to 44-25 with the loss but remains firmly in the playoff picture.
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the victory leaves the Celtics needing only three more wins to clinch the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs as they chase their first NBA title since 2008.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
