By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 point and made the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left, as the Milwaukee Bucks managed to hold on for the 103-101 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
The defending champion Bucks got a 2-1 lead in the series, with Game 4 on Monday night in Milwaukee, while Giannis recorded his 6th career 40-point playoff game, twice as many as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a player of Milwaukee.
Boston was down by three (103-100) with 4.6 seconds remaining. Marcus Smart was fouled, he made the first free throw, missed the second intentionally and then the basketball gods simply favored the Bucks.
Smart missed a putback attempt after his own missed shot, Robert Williams got a second offensive rebounds but sent the ball up and off the glass and Al Horford also did the same. He got a fourth rebound, he scored, but just after the buzzer sounded.
THE @BUCKS GET THE STOP AT THE FINAL BUZZER TO WIN GAME 3! pic.twitter.com/bmagSiNuxC
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2022
Giannis also had 12 rebounds and eight assists. He saved the Bucks who played with fire, after blowing a 14-point lead.
“I know what my strengths are” Antetokounmpo said. “Just try to read what’s in front of me and just play with my instincts. Sometimes I’m going to make the right play and sometimes I’m going to make the wrong play, but as long as I play within my strengths, we’re going to be in a good place.”
The Celtics entered crunch time with a 100-99 lead, their first since early in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo made the score 101-100, then blocked Jalen Brown’s driving layup attempt, leading to Jrue Holiday’s basket that made it 103-100 with 11.2 seconds remaining.
Holiday had 25 points. Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds.