JAYLEN Brown scored 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc, and the host Boston Celtics stormed to a 109-86 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night (Wednesday in Manila) in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Jayson Tatum added 29 points and eight assists for the second-seeded Celtics, who avenged a 12-point loss two days earlier to even the series at 1-1. Grant Williams scored 21 off the bench.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points but shot only 11 of 27 from the field, 1 of 4 from 3-point range and 5 of 9 from the free-throw line. Jrue Holiday scored 19 points and Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton finished with 13 apiece.
The series will shift to Milwaukee for the next two games, starting with Game 3 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
In the other game, Ja Morant exploded for 47 points, tying his postseason high, and scored Memphis’ final 15 points as the Grizzlies evened their Western Conference semifinal series against the visiting Golden State Warriors at a game apiece with a 106-101 victory.
In a game that featured the ejection of Grizzlies defensive ace Dillon Brooks and stitches to Warriors star Draymond Green’s face, Memphis avenged a 117-116 home loss in Game 1 as the best-of-seven travels to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) and Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
Morant’s late flurry began after Stephen Curry nailed a 3-pointer that gave third-seeded Golden State a 95-91 lead with 4:33 to go.
The young standout’s step-back 3-pointer with 2:28 remaining put the Grizzlies on top 98-97. After Curry countered with a layup, Morant dropped in a 7-foot floater to give Memphis the lead for good with 1:42 to go. — Field Level Media
