Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks Box Score on Oct 26, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 26, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Al Horford scored 27 points and Kyrie Irving finished with 24 as the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to three games and moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 96-89 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Horford and Irving combined to shoot 21-for-32 from the floor, including 6-for-9 on 3-point attempts, but the rest of the Celtics' offense struggled. Boston shot just 42.3 percent overall.

The Celtics (3-2) made up for their shooting deficiency at the free-throw line, where they sank 19 of 22 attempts.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo came into the game leading the NBA in scoring at 36.5 points per game but was held below 30 points for the first time this season. He finished with 28 points and added 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon added 15 points apiece as Milwaukee shot 45 percent while playing at their legendary former home, the Milwaukee Arena -- best known as the MECCA.

Milwaukee (3-2) made 14 trips to the line but hit only eight attempts. The Bucks shot 45.5 percent overall including an 11-for-25 mark from long distance.

Antetokounmpo managed just four points in the opening quarter as Boston led by as many as 10.

The Celtics missed their first seven shots of the second quarter and Brogdon's driving layup tied the game at 39 with 3:41 left in the half.

Antetokounmpo's dunk with 25.1 seconds left sent Milwaukee into the break with a 44-43 lead.

Boston knocked down five 3-pointers in the third and took a 72-69 lead into the fourth after Horford drained a 10-footer as time expired.

Marcus Smart hit a pair of 3-pointers midway through the final period to give the Celtics an 82-72 lead. Tony Snell responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Bucks' deficit to five with 5:51 to play.

With 5:26 remaining, Irving fed Horford for another 3-pointer to put Boston back up nine with. The Bucks never got closer than five the rest of the way.

NOTES: G Malcolm Brogdon returned to the Bucks' starting lineup after sitting out a game with a sprained left ankle. ... Boston took a 108-100 loss to the Bucks in its home opener. ... At 3-1 to start the day, the Bucks were off to their best start since the 2012-13 season. ... The Bucks called the Milwaukee Arena home from their inception in 1968 through the 1987-88 season. During that 20-season stretch, the team had a 992-648 (.605) home record.