Bucks win a thrilling Game 4 after nearly blowing 20-point lead to Celtics

The Milwaukee Bucks have made this a series ... barely. After blowing a 20-point lead in Game 4 to the Celtics, the Bucks held on for a 104-102 win thanks to a Giannis Antetokounmpo tip-in with 5.1 seconds remaining. This series is tied at two.

Antetokounmpo finished with 27 points, Khris Middleton poured in 23, and Jabari Parker had 16 off the bench for Milwaukee. Boston got another massive game from Jaylen Brown (34 points, eight rebounds) and a solid performance from Jayson Tatum (21 points on 16 shots), but it wasn’t quite enough.

It looked like the Bucks would run away with this thing after an Antetokounmpo slam gave them a 65-45 lead midway through the third quarter. Instead, the Celtics patiently fought back, cutting the deficit to eight by the end of the third and even tighter as the fourth quarter commenced. This jumper by Tatum gave them their first lead of the game.

But Milwaukee got the lead back after Brown was stripped in the open floor, leading to a Malcolm Brogdon three. After Al Horford tied the game with two free throws, the Bucks survived after Giannis’ putback.

Here’s what happened in the game, in reverse chronological order.

0.0 seconds: That’s it. Boston got Marcus Morris a pretty good look on an isolation, but it was well contested and clanked off the rim.

This series is tied at two. What a win for the Bucks and what a damn game.

5.1 seconds: Wow, heartbreaking for Boston. The Celtics play great defense to force Malcolm Brogdon into a wild shot ... only for Giannis Antetokounmpo to outmuscle Jayson Tatum and tip it in.

Timeout Celtics. It all comes down to this.

29.6 seconds: Two FTs for Al Horford. Tie game. Bucks have it.

33.5 seconds: AAAHHHHH oh my god. First, Giannis Antetokounmpo turned it over looking for a foul. Instead of pulling it out, Jaylen Brown flew in to the hoop ... and he turned it over after Khris Middleton stripped him.

On the ensuing fast break, Eric Bledsoe delivered a beautiful extra pass to Malcolm Brogdon for a corner three. The Bucks lead again.

52.4 seconds: The Celtics lead! The Celtics lead! Jayson Tatum hit a nasty stepback, and they’ve come all the way back from 20 points down. In a season of wild comebacks, this one would take the cake.

1:20: HOW DID JAYLEN BROWN MAKE ANOTHER STEPBACK THREE. That’s 34 for Brown, and it’s a one-point game.

And then the Bucks turned it over on a horrible possession, much to the chagrin of Hubie Brown.

2:40: Not over yet! Terry Rozier hit a huge three after the Bucks botched ANOTHER fast break, and it’s a three-point game.

3:59: Umm ... Giannis Antetokounmpo just immortalized Al Horford on a poster forever. This is ridiculous.

And the mean mug!

Boston made its run, but is starting to run out of gas. Can Milwaukee finish this off?

6:11: The shotmaking in this fourth quarter in ridiculous. Jayson Tatum hit a stepback three at the end of the shot clock, followed by a Khris Middleton step up 3 with Al Horford in his face, followed by a Terry Rozier stepack three.

Y’all better tune in.

The Celtics tied it up briefly before Thon Maker hit a wide open three at the top of the key. Thon also did this.

9:43 — Shane Larkin just slipped and fell, and he made the heads-up play to hit Marcus Morris in the corner for an open three. Unbelievable.

10:37 — TIMEOUT, Bucks

Jaylen Brown is carrying Boston. He just drilled a DEEEEP three to cut Boston’s lead to just three. This one’s getting good, y’all, I know you here with me.

The Bucks led by as many as 20 in the third quarter, but Boston mounted a wild comeback to cut the deficit to single digits. They simply outworked Milwaukee to all the 50/50 balls. That can’t happen if the Bucks are going to protect home court.

Joe Prunty is pulling a page out of Phil Jackson’s book and opting not to call a timeout during a ferocious Celtics run. Milwaukee just can’t seem to get a stop, but Prunty is letting them play. Boston is getting to every loose ball and is outworking Milwaukee on both ends.

4:15 — Giannis hit a mid-range jumper that put an end to a 12-2 Celtics run. One more basket could kill Boston’s momentum altogether. Then Antetokounmpo came up with all glass on a three, so there’s that.

5:47 — TIMEOUT, Milwaukee

The Celtics have made this a game. They’re building momentum getting stop and moving the ball on offense. Milwaukee can’t afford for Boston to get things rolling heading into the fourth quarter.

7:37 — TIMEOUT, Celtics

The Bucks are getting virtually everything they want on offense. This is against a league-best Boston defense, but there’s not much they can do to stop Milwaukee’s attack.

8:28 — The Bucks have had success on defense by switching all screens, but now the Celtics are trying to take advantage of the mismatch on the low block. It’s kinda working, but they need bigger plays, fast, to catch up.

Brad Stevens: “Jaylen Brown needs some help.”

The Bucks are playing like the team the world has expected them to be. Their key stars have come alive with Giannis Antetokounmpo (10), Khris Middleton (13) and Jabari Parker (12) combining for 35 points in the first half. Defensively, their lineups are lanky and versatile. They’re cutting off slashing lanes and forcing Boston into contested twos and threes. The Celtics are 5-of-13 from deep, but that won’t be enough if they want to cover this ground.

4:00 — Jaylen Brown is trying to will the Celtics back. He just checked back into the game and now has 12 points to lead Boston. It’ll take a lot more from others, but Brown’s energy is giving his team a jolt.

The Bucks’ length and versatility on defense is really giving Boston some issues.

9:45 — Eric Bledsoe just did what he does best: He exploited a mismatch with Aron Bayes and found Tony Snell wide open for a three when the help came.

10:47 — Thon Maker is really out here hitting 3s, y’all.

The Bucks came out swinging in the first, and had a wild end to the first quarter. Jabari Parker blew a 2-on-1 fast break, then made up for it by forcing a turnover on the other end. That led to a saucy Khris Middleton up-and-under, but then something odd happened.

The Celtics lazily inbounded the ball with just a second left, allowing Matthew Dellavedova to swoop in for the steal and flick the ball up for a buzzer-beating layup.

The Celtics are getting good basketball out of Jayson Tatum, but the Bucks are firing from all directions. This was a great first quarter if you’re a Milwaukee fan.

2:00 —The Bucks have hit a stride. They’re swarming defensively and somehow hitting shots on the other end. Thon Maker just hit a contested deep two. If that shot’s gonna drop, Boston’s in for a long night.

4:25 — Easy money. Giannis found the mismatch on the low block, and his teammates found him. Boston hasn’t scored in a little while.

7:21 — TIMEOUT, Milwaukee

The Celtics are turning the Bucks over and getting out in transition. This is the Boston team we saw in Game 1.

Milwaukee fans are legit chanting “BUCKS IN 6” right now which is fine, I guess.

The Bucks showed signs of life at home following an anemic Game 3 in Boston by winning big in Milwaukee in Game 4 thanks to a big lift from Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Jabari Parker and Thon Maker. The start of this series felt like Giannis vs. the world, but the Bucks’ supporting cast finally came alive in the team’s 24 point win, with Middleton, Bledsoe, Parker and Maker combining for 71 points.

It was a role reversal in the series, as the Celtics only got a combined 20 points out of Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, who had been averaging 48 points together entering Game 3. Now the Bucks have a chance to even the series in Milwaukee in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m., ABC).

It’s still an uphill battle for the Bucks to turn this series around with a return trip to Boston on the horizon, but with Giannis anything is possible.

Delly was feeling loose before the game.

Location: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee

Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET

TV: ABC

Announcers: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Mark Jones, Hubie Brown, Doris Burke and Lisa Salters

Online streaming: ABC Go (in select markets)