Milwaukee Bucks rally to beat Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics crush Toronto Raptors in NBA

INDIANA – Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he was “craving” National Basketball Association (NBA) competition after being sick for some time, and when he gets into that mood, there is no stopping him.

On Dec 31, the Bucks erased a 19-point deficit, pulling away late on to beat the Indiana Pacers 120-112 on the road, as the NBA champions Boston Celtics closed out 2024 with a 125-71 home demolition of the Toronto Raptors.

Antetokounmpo, back after missing four games because of an illness, found his rhythm after scoring just four points in the first half, finishing with 30 points and 12 rebounds.

Brook Lopez added 16 points and reserves Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr scored 14 points each for Milwaukee, who trailed 83-64 midway through the third quarter.

Damian Lillard scored just nine points but put the Bucks ahead for good with a three-pointer that made it 107-104 with 5min 17sec remaining.

“Obviously I was out of rhythm, I wasn’t able to do a lot for nine days. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to have like 45 minutes of practice,” said Antetokounmpo.

“But it was not enough against a great team like Indiana, who tried to attack from the start. I felt out of breath, like a rookie trying to figure out things as I went but it’s okay, because I am a basketball player, I am a competitor.

“First half wasn’t good for me, for the team, but the second half we were able to move the ball better. I was trying to be aggressive because I was craving, I was craving for the competition.”

With the win, Milwaukee improved to 2-0 over Indiana this season, with two more matchups coming between the division rivals.

There was no late drama in Boston, where the Celtics won by the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history, after a 56-point triumph against the Chicago Bulls in December 2018.

Jayson Tatum scored 18 of his 23 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics outscored the Raptors 45-18 to effectively put the game out of reach.

Payton Pritchard had 19 points off the bench, as seven Celtics players scored in double figures.

Derrick White scored 16 points and blocked four shots. Jrue Holiday, back after missing three games with a shoulder injury, added 14 points and three steals.

Jaylen Brown earned 12 points and nine rebounds, as the Celtics closed out 2024 on a strong note after dropping four of their last six games.

The Celtics connected on 22 of their 43 three-point attempts and shot 47 from 87 from the field as they handed the Raptors an 11th straight defeat.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said the big win was just part of the process as the Celtics try to retain their title.

“I think the best thing about the team is just their mindset to have an understanding of where we’re at and where we’re trying to get better, win or lose,” he said.

“There’s still stuff that we’ve got to work on... we’ve just got to continue to be better.”

The Celtics are second in the East on 24-9, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-4), who spoilt LeBron James’ first game as a 40-year-old, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-110. The Bucks are fifth on 17-14.

In the West, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to guide leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder (27-5) to their 12th consecutive victory, a 113-105 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

The streak is the Thunder’s longest since early in the 2012-13 season and ties the longest run since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. The club’s all-time mark is a 14-game streak by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.

After a slow start, Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams each had 14 points, with Williams adding seven assists.

The Thunder finished with 31 points off Minnesota’s season-high 23 turnovers. Oklahoma City gave the ball away nine times, leading to eight points. AFP, REUTERS