INSTANT REACTION: Celtics comes up big when it matters to hold off Bucks' fourth quarter run

Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine join Amina Smith to offer instant reaction and analysis following the Celtics' 122-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee, led by Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo out, outscored Boston 36-21 in the fourth quarter, but solid defense and timely buckets down the stretch were the difference in the win.

[@victorinocentes6798]

Tatum starting to play like a true vet.✅️

[@quezzyb617]

Loved that kp rebound at the end he snatched it like a man who was not letting it end like the cavs game

[@izzyfresh20]

Loved Tatum driving late in the game and getting to the line. Also big free throws from Jaylen after missing two earlier. Ugly ending but way to close!

[@jay-jay8191]

It's great how they're playing with more confidence in close games compared to last year. no sense of panic, Tatum looking like kobe in closing minutes tonight.

[@Alex_Off-Beat]

If Tatum would drive like that every game then this team would be unstoppable. Hopefully we see a lot more of that in the playoffs...

[@therealdarrell282]

He needs to attack under control. I like these type of wins because it will help Boston when they have to go through these games in the playoffs.

[@jay-jay8191]

I still don't like Tatum walking the ball down, still would prefer Holliday or White bringing the ball down n have it end up on Tatum hands or they play faster. J.B. n J.T need to limit the t.o. this team is way to talented pretty unstoppable right now being up 11 games n already clinched the playoffs.

[@ricardobourne326]

Perfect explanation of the end fm that game.

[@LimaJayaSRC]

Gonna miss Amina 💚 Goodluck at ESPN. And yes W is W let's go Celtics

[@avthecool129]

😢😢😢😢😔😔😔😔

[@sullivanbrawn1315]

noooo when did they announce?

[@mattpassos5689]

Amina said its her last day? Damn shes been a great member of this celtics postgame team

[@dr.jeffreyperson417]

She's going to ESPN. She'll start there on April 2nd.

[@avthecool129]

@@dr.jeffreyperson417😢😢😢😢😔😔😔😔😔

[@sojunip]

​@@dr.jeffreyperson417 moving on up! Good on her, well deserved.

[@peteviksnins4656]

I know my opinion doesn’t matter much to Ms. Smith, but it has been a joy to watch. I like that she “spreads the floor” as a moderator, diming to EHouse, Drew, Scal, Abby, Forsberg, etc. I’m a Cs fan because I follow Porziņģis, but I have come to appreciate Ms. Smith’s style of telejournalism. Best of luck in the transition.

[@MultipleMike-tl2ty]

Goodbye Amina, I’ve watched you since you started with NBC sports Boston and it’s been a pleasure seeing you develop such great chemistry on the local broadcast team. I hope you have great success in your future endeavours.

[@kelvinchow2829]

Bobby Portis would be a great player. I saw his eye has fury. His shooting saves the bucks for so many times...and he almost did it again. But Tatum finally did his job in the last few minutes and secured his layups....not trying to draw fouls and loose the ball and blaming the ref not blow the whistle. He needs to be this kind of game finisher if he wants to be great.

[@Robin-xt7yo]

*Celtics W-L as of Mar 20 (55-14) 13 games left* 4-0 vs NY (1 game remains) 4-0 vs Brooklyn (no games remain) 4-0 vs Toronto (no games remain) 3-0 vs Miami (no games remain) 3-0 vs Washington (1 game remains) 3-1 vs Philadelphia (no games remain) 3-2 vs Indiana (no games remain) 2-0 vs Phoenix (no games remain) 2-0 vs Dallas (no games remain) 2-0 vs Atlanta (2 games remain) 2-0 vs Utah (no games remain) 2-0 vs Memphis (no games remain) 2-0 vs Houston (no games remain) 2-0 vs Chicago (1 game remains) 2-0 vs San Antonio (no games remain) 2-0 vs Detroit (1 game remains) 2-1 vs Milwaukee (1 game remains) 2-1 vs Cleveland (no games remain) 2-1 vs Orlando (no games remain) 1-0 vs Portland (1 game remains) 1-0 vs Sacramento (1 game remains) 1-0 vs New Orleans (1 game remains) 1-1 vs Clippers (no games remain) 1-1 vs Lakers (no games remain) 1-1 vs Minnesota (no games remain) 1-1 vs Golden State (no games remain) 0-1 vs Charlotte (2 games remain) 0-1 vs OKC (1 game remains) 0-2 vs Denver (no games remain)

[@ChrisM-zm4li]

That Denver, OKC, and Clippers record is worrisome.

[@WLJ1287]

@@ChrisM-zm4li lol what, they split with LAC, and okc was one game. Den is the defending champion so don’t see how any of that is worrisome

[@ChrisM-zm4li]

@@WLJ1287 Lol, you're not worried about the defending champ looking like they have our number, thus being able to deny us the championship? Absurd.

[@Robin-xt7yo]

@ChrisM-zm4li Denver pretty much has all teams number, BUT they are not unbeatable. Denver lost 21 games so far. They're not impossible to beat. Tough yes. But not impossible.

[@WLJ1287]

@@ChrisM-zm4li you sound like a guy who worries too much is what it sounds like

[@bigstunt7944]

Great game . They’re missing Giannis but we’re missing Jrue and Sam. I can see a 6-7 game series if the Heat doesn’t get to the Bucks first lol.

[@edwincopo5757]

Its nice that they gave the ball to D. White in the end setting up the play and JT telling him to give the ball to JB on the block vs Dame, instead of just giving the ball to Tatum walking it up up court to court

[@felipeb.9321]

Lesson: no lead is ever safe 🍀 The defense dragged a lot at the beginning of the 4th... can't make that mistake, allowing 2 guys to get hot (waste of a good lead). On the plus side the guys figured it out - with a couple of monster plays from JT and that will-killin' slam by KP 💚- and without Jrue's instincts on defense or Sam's 3-point marksmanship. tbh, I even liked that #@(% You 3 by Dame at the end... good 'n' chippy. - Question: Does all that add to more than one Giannis? If we meet in the EC finals??? i don't think that's enough G 'n' the Bs . . . Cs 🍀💚🍀💚🍀🍀🍀

[@danielthompson3928]

Saying “what if” Giannis was there is no different than saying “what if” we had Holiday and our knock down shooter in Hauser? Bobby Portis would have had less minutes too and he killed us in the 2nd half. Bring Giannis next time!

[@MrSwaggernaut83]

Way Dame was shooting, without JBs D he world have put up 40-50

[@Robin-xt7yo]

Yes, JB was great on D.

[@andrewbell5405]

Honestly this is a game we probably would have lost last year.

[@Good-Crazy]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@dadbodgaming.92]

I just realized we didn't have Jrue lol

[@bobqzzi]

Lost the 4th Quarter by 16. That was ugly

[@michaelhowell2809]

After smashing other games during this win streak who cares

[@Robin-xt7yo]

Ugly is Golden State losing to the Celtics by 52 pts and Steph Curry only getting 4 pts on March 3rd. The Celtics have been #1 ALL Season. And now up by 11 games over #2 Mil.

[@cartiersabu]

when we were up 20, Scott Foster made like 5 straight non/incorrect calls that made the game much closer than it should have been. Not blaming it solely on the Celts blowing the lead… Plus, Bobby Portis and Dame went nuclear in that fourth, fake stats

[@Easyasdede]

I love the Celtics but the BIG 4 got so stagnant in the 2nd half. If everything went thru PP it woulda stayed a blowout IMO, just bc Payton pace and ability to draw 2

[@Easyasdede]

And bruh if KP has a mismatch the spacing needs to be a better, I feel like he should run the P&R towards the baseline so it’s harder to help. They kept tryna post KP from the middle which I thought led to some uncomfortable post shots

[@beantown4life]

Then go be a coach, be positive jeez, we won

[@stefanocugini6379]

like if your team has 55 wins through 69 games and is undefeated at home against All Eastern Conference teams!☘️☘️☘️

[@bernadettepalmeira6728]

We got the win but this quarter sucked. Can't play like this in the playoffs guys!

[@ChrisM-zm4li]

Mazulla still doesn't seem able to draw up the right play out of time outs, like we saw Doc Rivers do a couple of times.

[@dillonwood3096]

It was a tight game and it was horrible 4th quarter Celtics trying to blow a huge lead the bucks came up short and Celtics have managed to clinch a division with a win

[@SantiagoTM1]

I've been a Boston Celtic fan since 1970. The '24 Celtics look like they're bored AF. Just wait until the playoffs begin. So much so that I'm betting the Farm Equipment on Boston to win the East & the 2024 NBA Finals. I have a piece of the original Parque Floor from the Boston Garden, & a Brick of the original building. 80's & 90's NBA was the absolute best ever in the NBA.

[@blackezi3]

Bucks play totally different when Dame Lillard is not playing with Giannis, as you have seen in this game. And they still haven't figured how to play a 2-man game with each other. Bucks should recognize that they aren't going anywhere if Giannis and Dame aren't on the same page

[@aieshadaniels6104]

Bucks missing PF in Giannis CELTICs missing their Defensive Roamer in JRUE, Sharp Shooter in SAM and Depth Rebounder in OSHAE! Jo was clearly using this game as a feel out for what Bucks can do without their leader in Gianni! They can do a lot especially when CELTICs step away from playing their game! Both teams playing full strength elite game yet top see! Hold your card s firm Joe alright! CELTICs shall stay ready to play their full hand when time reaches! JB keep stepping up on both ends! JT keep improving getting to and at the FT line!

[@takiaharris6004]

What would make anyone think we should’ve won by 20 that’s crazy

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Jaylen Brown ENTER he's 1st YEARS PRIMES 💪🔥💪

[@the406seadonkey6]

Scal rides fences more than The Eagles' Desperado.

[@ajbianchi85]

Was nice to see JT attack the rim at the end. Still dont like the lack of time outs by Joe Mazz sometimes

[@sbrady1790]

I'm not sure Milwaukee would have done better at the end with Giannis they were shooting mostly 3s to get back into the game and I don't watch Milwaukee but isn't he an in the paint guy? So that's 2s and the celtics can match 2s so Giannis being out allowed the rest of his team to shoot 3s at will since they are good at screening. They looked like they had issues in the paint so they had to resort to 3s. And multiple times in the game Milwaukee came back from double digit deficits. This game was 21 points in the 3rd 4th looked like celtics were missing Holiday

[@Andy_M986]

Close win,too close for my liking, had Giannis been there,it could have ended up a loss.

[@beantown4life]

Way to be negative, it's the nba, it happens, try being positive

[@Garamondable]

Could say the same about if Jrue/Hauser weren’t out.

[@AbsNanayac]

😂😂😂 No Way! Celtics are to much! 🫎🫎🫎

[@Andy_M986]

@@beantown4life Lucky you're not the coach.

[@beantown4life]

@@Andy_M986 I didn't say anything bad, you're the one hating and crying, fake fan you are

[@barrystaples4366]

They almost blew another one by forgetting how to play ball in the fourth quarter. This isn't rocket science folks. Stop standing around and start moving without the ball and start passing. Look at the tapes. Moving and passing is what built your 21 point lead...

[@christopherjudge1138]

STILL YET ANOTHER DYNAMITE WIN FOR THE CELTS, LAST NIGHT!!!!! 😀✌👍 THE DUDES IN GREEN WILL BE FACING THE PISTONS FOR A REMATCH, TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!

[@user-to4sw9wi6v]

Yall let boston get they shine on they a regular season team in the playoffs got get exposed watch cant wait n not to mention that number 1 seed is a curse

[@ChrisM-zm4li]

I don't know. It's not good how they have so much trouble with good teams down the stretch.

[@LogjammerDbaggagecling-qr5ds]

You have to think about it in terms of playoffs. Bobby Portis suddenly started shooting 50% from 3 in the 4th quarter, and the bucks as a whole shot like 50%, which they've only done one other time this season. It was a fluke game. Bobby Portis isn't doing that shit in 4 games out of 7, and the bucks don't shoot as well as they did tonight.

[@Frefte.]

​@@LogjammerDbaggagecling-qr5dshe just had 31 against the suns on Monday

[@Daves_not_here_man_]

Top 75 player lol. I wonder if thats what Milwaukee thought they were getting.

[@RandomGuy-ow7uh]

Y’all won by 3 points and got washed by 40 the other time, mind you giannis wasn’t even playing 😭 🙏

[@gottabedaryl]

@@RandomGuy-ow7uh y'all got doc rivers goodluck in the playoffs 🥲🥲🙏🙏

[@elmztana1201]

@@gottabedarylwho t f is joe mazzulla Yall barely won at home twice 3 pts both times. But got annihilated at fiserv forum .

[@gottabedaryl]

@@elmztana1201 it's bound to be off night for celtics, it's what happened to the GSW getting trashed by 50 pts. The schedule affects the players fatigue. Yall lost a win is a win, also if you're a bucks fan what the hell are you doing here.

[@WLJ1287]

@@elmztana1201yeah keep holding on to that one win for the bucks as if it translates to a 7 game series. You must be new to basketball, welcome. You have much to learn about this game.

[@nitong49]

d white and jrue should guard lilard next time. brown is too slow for lilard

[@Bookake-2]

jrue wasnt even playing...

[@declanpatrickmacmanus5416]

that's why my boy said, ''next time" get your head in the game@@Bookake-2

[@markrobinson1480]

You can’t go into run the clock mode at the start of the 4th no matter how big the lead… at least not against good comp.

[@comradeyellow6781]

Celtics can't keep a lead to save their life, and it happens every single game. You can't play like this in the post season, hope they know that.

[@danielthompson3928]

They force fed KP and it was not working. They also lost the switch that Dame initiated several times in a row. Joe needed to help out more on this one.

[@1smhx5]

Did they win?

[@brunocuevas2136]

Celtics ofensive at the ending is too predictable. 90 % it is Tatum taking last shot. It seems to me like Mazzulla has no word on that. That is why teams are able to make life difficult for Tatum. Mazzulla let it happens again , again , again and again. Once playoff games begins , pressure will be in another level . I don't like Mazzulla .

[@elmztana1201]

Oh after both close losses away, I’m actually looking forward to Celtics ECF if that happens . #buckin6

[@duplexarco]

Please keep the false hope alive. It is better to have something to hold going on #CelticsIn4

[@LogjammerDbaggagecling-qr5ds]

Bro thinks close losses means they won lol

[@WLJ1287]

Make it out the second round first, also I love that you’re looking forward to it, I’m looking forward to trashing arrogant little people like you…

[@philipdemokritou1359]

U cant win championship when u let team scores 36 points in the forth!,,,,,

[@joshuawhite479]

It hasn't been nearly as bad as last year this year we've been making strides a few bad games that happened w is a dub

[@danlange7911]

Celtics not a finals team , let’s get real

[@danlange7911]

Celtics not a clutch championship team …sorry

[@danlange7911]

If Gianis is playing Celtics lose, sorry Denver and Milwaukee are better

[@visiontrivia]

We have beat them many times with your gianis playing.

[@gamzilo]

​@visiontrwe beat y'all by 30 last time we met, we played twice this season, and y'all won by 3point twice. See y'all in the playoffs

[@jdzspace33]

This wasn't a good win, thus was a bad win. When you choke away ANOTHER 20 point FORTH QUARTER lead for the 2nd time since the Allstar break you don't get to act like it's a good win. Just avoided being embarrassed... again.... barely

[@WLJ1287]

They have the best record since the all star break chill out. Bucks just got blown out a few games ago and they’re 2nd in the east so nobody is doing perfect things

[@jdzspace33]

@WLJ1287 bro, Giannis wasn't playing. They were at home, just got beat by 30 by this team at home, and they choked away a 20pt lead in the 4th quarter. Why are you trying to put lipstick on this pig? Horrible game, embarrassing performance, and another game where Boston gets exposed by a top-tier team.

[@WLJ1287]

@@jdzspace33 just? That game was back in January. They have the top record vs teams above 500 and their record against top teams isn’t bad either in fact that also is amongst the top. The bucks aren’t the nuggets and I don’t think they’re the thunder either. This game if Gianni’s plays I don’t think dame plays as good and neither does Portis. Jrue didn’t play either and neither did Hauser so it wasn’t a full look for either of these teams. The Celtics are no pig they hold an 11 game lead on the bucks so it’s not like they need this game they just need to remain healthy. I wouldn’t be betting your house or anything of relevance on mil beating Bos in a series.

[@jdzspace33]

@WLJ1287 i hear you, but it's always an excuse when Boston keeps getting embarrassed by top-tier teams. To this date, they don't have a clean win against a top-tier team. They beat the Bucks when they were still adjusting to the new team, then won without Giannis, beat the Sixers without Embiid, the Wolves without Gobert, the clippers without Leonard. Then sodomize the canine against lottery teams like the Lakers and warriors and get dominated by the clippers and Bucks at home. Not to mention Denver. Doing well against .500 teams is nice, but losing to top tier teams isn't. You aren't going to play many .500 teams in the playoffs

[@1smhx5]

@@jdzspace33you have awful takes lmao clearly just look at highlights and stats after games and are not a true fan go hate on the bucks page for not completing there comeback 😊