Jaylen Brown Drops 30 Points as Celtics Take 2-0 Series Lead over Bucks
All season long, the Boston Celtics got the job done with or without their stars.
That hasn't changed in the postseason.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and Terry Rozier added 23, leading the Celtics to a 120-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their first-round series Tuesday. Boston leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 heading back to Milwaukee.
Brown, who teased at his breakout potential in last year's playoffs, has scored 50 points through the first two games of this series. He knocked down five threes and spearheaded a Boston offense that shot 53.3 percent from the floor.
The 21-year-old also became the youngest player in Celtics history to score 30 or more points in a playoff game.
The pace in Tuesday's game was the polar opposite of Game 1, where both teams couldn't make their way to 100 points before overtime and struggled with their shot. Six Celtics scored in double figures, including three of the four players who got significant playing time off the bench.
Marcus Morris led the way for the reserves with 18 points, while Greg Monroe chipped in 12 and Shane Larkin added 11. Morris, who has 39 points through the first two games, also added a bit of fuel to the matchup, as he got into a tussle with Khris Middleton in the second half Tuesday.
Rozier, who had 23 points and knocked down a clutch three in Game 1, matched that total Tuesday, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and adding eight assists. Al Horford rounded out Boston's double-digit scorers and continued his efficient play with a 16-point, five-rebound, four-assist effort.
The Celtics turned the ball over just five times on the night. The Bucks, meanwhile, coughed up 15 turnovers, which helps to explain how they lost despite shooting 59.7 percent from the floor.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a stellar 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. He leads all players with 65 points through the first two games of the series.
Unlike in Game 1, Antetokounmpo's teammates picked up some offensive slack Tuesday.
Middleton had 25 points, while John Henson and Eric Bledsoe added 12 apiece. Shabazz Muhammad chipped in 11 off the bench, and Malcolm Brogdon had 10.
The Bucks' main issues came on defense and with their shot selection. They shot a disappointing 7-of-17 from three-point range in Game 2 after going 8-of-21 in Game 1.
The Bucks seemed to have a talent advantage coming into the series due to the injuries to Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart. However, the first two games have proved coaching—at least a discrepancy this large—can play a major factor over the course of a playoff series.
The teams will have a two-day break before resuming the series Friday night in Milwaukee.
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