Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points in Milwaukee's win. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Bucks win back-and-forth battle with Celtics in Game 3, take 2-1 series lead

By Adam Stites | Last updated 5/7/22

The Milwaukee Bucks took a 2-1 lead in an Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Boston Celtics after narrowly winning 103-101 in Game 3 on Saturday.

Milwaukee led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but Boston clawed back and took a 100-99 lead with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter. After a couple of Bucks field goals made it 103-100, the Celtics closed the gap back to one point with a free throw from Marcus Smart. He missed the second free throw intentionally, but several attempts at a tip-in missed and the Bucks held on for the win.

THE @BUCKS GET THE STOP AT THE FINAL BUZZER TO WIN GAME 3! pic.twitter.com/bmagSiNuxC
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2022

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 42 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals. It was the sixth 40-point playoff game of his career, twice as many as any other player in Bucks history.

With Antetokounmpo leading the way, the Bucks finished with 52 points in the paint, while the Celtics had only 32. Milwaukee also out-rebounded Boston, 53 to 47.

The Celtics were led by guard Jaylen Brown, who recorded 27 points and 12 rebounds. Three-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum scored just 10 points in the loss and made just four of 19 field-goal attempts. Tatum missed all six of his three-point tries.

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