Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, Marcus Smart had 23 and the Celtics beat Milwaukee 122-114 on Friday night to snap the Bucks’ eight-game winning streak.

Milwaukee blew most of a 25-point lead before holding on for a 121-119 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum as Boston’s Daniel Theis missed a shot at the buzzer.

Friday's home opener against Golden State marks Milwaukee's third straight Dec. 25 game.

Boston made 17 of its first 34 3-point attempts Wednesday night before cooling off in the fourth quarter to finish the game 18-for-40 from distance.

Jayson Tatum banked in a fallaway, go-ahead 3-pointer in the final second, and Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a potential tying free throw with 0.4 seconds left, allowing Boston to escape with a 122-121 victory over Milwaukee in the teams’ season opener on Wednesday night.

“The competition is really good in the East,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Our guys understand that and that’s the job of the coaching staff to figure out where we can improve.” 

Tyler Herro, a 20-year-old who committed to the Wisconsin Badgers before choosing Kentucky for his one year of college, scored 37 points as his Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 112-109 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bucks (53-12) bring the NBA's best record into the resumption of the season next week at Walt Disney World.

The Milwaukee Bucks will open against the Boston Celtics on July 31 at 5:30 p.m. in the restart of the 2019-20 season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 17 rebounds, Khris Middleton scored 23 and the Bucks held off the Boston Celtics 128-123 despite blowing two 20-point leads.

Rick Pitino has agreed to coach the Greek national basketball team and lead the country's effort to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

How much did Tyler Herro impress the Miami Heat during the predraft process? They didn't get caught up in how he measured up. For Pat Riley and his staff, that, by itself, speaks volumes of what they think of the No. 13 pick out of Kentucky. Because for years, the lengths a player goes to has been among the prime admission standards by the Heat. And yet, of the prospects who availed themselves ...

The Milwaukee Bucks say they are investigating a report by people who believe their drinks were spiked during a party outside the NBA team's arena.

"We take pride in our depth so much," Bucks center Brook Lopez said. "We always say in the game, 'No let up, no let up.' We really feel we have no drop-off, regardless of who we have on the floor."

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks routed the Boston Celtics 116-91 on Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

Until the Bucks' 116-91 dismantling of the Celtics Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum, their fourth straight victory after a series-opening loss, no one truly realized just how good they are.

After being sidelined since March 15 with a plantar fascia tear, the 6-foot-5 guard went 4 for 8 from the floor and finished with 10 points, four assists and three rebounds in the Bucks’ 116-91 victory over the Boston Celtics.

The Bucks have outscored the Celtics 112-72 in the third quarter in their three straight wins to take a 3-1 series lead.

Giannis Antetokounmpo watched the Bucks bench open a double-digit lead as he sat with foul trouble, then returned with a dominating fourth quarter to finish with 39 points and 16 rebounds as Milwaukee beat Boston 113-101 on Monday night to move one win from its first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2001.