Boston Celtics Crush Milwaukee Bucks in Battle of Top Two Teams in East

• The Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night
• Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 70 points in the rout
• The Celtics drained more than half of their 43 3-point attempts

The race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference is not yet over.

The Boston Celtics delivered a statement win on Thursday night, crushing the Milwaukee Bucks 140-99.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown starred for the Celtics, who moved within two games of the Bucks for the best record in the NBA.

The dynamic duo accounted for half of Boston’s points. Tatum scored a game-high 40 points, while Brown dropped 30 in the win, per ESPN. They shot a combined 25 of 38 from the field.

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Tatum sizzles from the outside

The Celtics were red-hot from beyond the arc, going 22 of 43 from the 3-point area. Eight of those made threes came from Tatum.

They pulled away in the second quarter, turning a 34-26 lead into a shocking 75-47 advantage at the half.

The Celtics increased their lead to 40 points at the end of the third quarter, leading both coaches to use their reserves in the final period.

It was a humiliating defeat for the Bucks, who were playing the second game of a back-to-back set.

The Bucks struggled against the Celtics, one night after shooting a season-high 62.4% from the field against Indiana.

Holiday and Giannis both struggle

Jrue Holiday followed his 51-point outing with a six-point dud against Boston. He shot just 2 of 8 from the floor.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. He shot 11 of 27 from the field, missing all five attempts from the 3-point area.

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Milwaukee’s starters scored just 54 points in this game, their fourth-lowest total in a contest this season. The 41-point loss was the Bucks’ second-largest defeat in franchise history.

It was a huge bounce-back win for the Celtics, who suffered a 130-111 loss to the Washington Wizards in their previous game. They shot 56% from the floor in the blowout win.

Things got heated near the end of the contest, with Thanasis Antetokounmpo getting ejected for a headbutt on Blake Griffin.

Boston’s remaining games

Sports Brief recently reported on the Celtics’ remaining schedule.

They will face the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors (twice), and the Atlanta Hawks in their last five games.

The Celtics will close their regular season with a three-game homestand.