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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Celtics start fast again, roll past Bucks

Celtics start fast again, roll past Bucks

Published Apr 4, 2026 02:50 pm

At A Glance

  • MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum added 23, and the hot-shooting Boston Celtics capitalized on another fast start in a 133-101 victory over the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, April 3.
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum shoots against Milwaukee Bucks' Cormac Ryan during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum shoots against Milwaukee Bucks' Cormac Ryan during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum added 23, and the hot-shooting Boston Celtics capitalized on another fast start in a 133-101 victory over the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, April 3.
Tatum was an assist shy of his second straight triple-double despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter of a game the Celtics never trailed. He had 11 rebounds and nine assists Friday after collecting 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists Wednesday in a 147-129 triumph over the Miami Heat.
In the Miami game, Boston scored 53 points in the opening period — its highest first-quarter point total in franchise history. The Celtics didn’t quite match that Friday, but they made eight of their first nine 3-point attempts and led 43-26 after the opening period.
That represented the most first-quarter points Milwaukee had allowed all season.
Boston (52-25) remained 2 1/2 games ahead of the New York Knicks in the competition for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics are four games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.
Neemias Queta had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 56.2% overall and 17 of 37 from 3-point range. Derrick White scored 17, Payton Pritchard 16 and Sam Hauser 13.
Taurean Prince scored 18 points to lead Milwaukee. Pete Nance had 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game due to what the Bucks have described as hyperextension in his left knee and a bone bruise. He told The Athletic and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel before the game that he's healthy and wants to play.
The Bucks also were missing Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee), Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain), Ryan Rollins (right hip strain) and Gary Trent Jr. (left hip pointer).
Boston was without Nikola Vucevic, who last played March 6 as he deals with a fractured right ring finger.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant scored 25 points and the Houston Rockets won their fifth straight game, beating the Utah Jazz, 140-106.
Durant shot 8 of 12 from the field and added five assists. It was the 45th time this season he's scored 20 or more points while shooting 50% or better. That’s second among NBA players behind Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has done it 47 times.
Amen Thompson had 21 points and Alperen Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets (48-29), who clinched a playoff spot Thursday. They are a game behind Denver for fourth place in the Western Conference.
Cody Williams led the Jazz with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but they shot just 5 of 27 from behind the 3-point line.
Utah (21-57) has lost eight consecutive games and 12 of 13.
Houston scored the first five points and never trailed. Tari Eason capped an 11-3 run with less than three minutes left in the first quarter to push the lead to 10, and the Rockets led by 12 after 12 minutes.
Utah scored the first five points of the second, but the Rockets answered with a 12-2 burst to push their lead to 17. The margin grew to 23 before Houston took a 19-point lead into halftime.
The Jazz whittled the lead down to 14, but the Rockets used a 19-4 run in the final 3:20 of the period to take a 29-point advantage into the fourth.

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