Bucks beat Celtics in wild finish

THE GREEK FREAK. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 34) tries to elude Jayson Tatum in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. / AP
THE GREEK FREAK. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 34) tries to elude Jayson Tatum in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. / AP

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and made the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood a frantic flurry of shots in the final seconds to beat the Boston Celtics 103-101 on Sunday (PH time) in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

The defending champion Bucks lead the best-of-7 series 2-1, with Game 4 on Monday night (Tuesday, PH time) in Milwaukee.

Boston trailed 103-100 when Marcus Smart was fouled by Jrue Holiday just before attempting a potential tying 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds remaining. Smart made the first free throw, then missed the second intentionally — flinging a shot that went hard off the backboard before hitting the rim

Smart got the rebound, but missed his putback attempt. Boston’s Robert Williams charged toward the basket and sent the ball up and off the glass. Al Horford was waiting on the right side with a putback attempt that also went off the glass. Horford then got his own rebound and banked it in, but his final shot came just after the buzzer sounded.

Antetokounmpo also had 12 rebounds and eight assists. His driving finger roll helped the Bucks pull back ahead after blowing a 14-point lead.

I saw Al tip it, and I saw the red outline go off on the backboard,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said. “It was very close.”

Holiday had 25 points. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Horford had 22 points and 16 rebounds.

WARRIORS 142, GRIZZLIES 112

Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Klay Thompson had 21 and nine rebounds and Golden State shut down Ja Morant’s supporting cast to embarrass Memphis and take 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Morant’s 3 just before the halftime buzzer got the Grizzlies to 64-57 at the break and gave him 17 of his 34 points after a 47-point performance in Game 2. But Morant couldn’t do it alone for Memphis, and he was done after rubbing his tender right knee and limping off with 6:19 to play before heading to the locker room.

Still bothered by Dillon Brooks’ hard foul in Game 2 that sidelined Gary Payton II, Draymond Green and Golden State kept cool from the opening tip — methodically running away with it. Instead, Memphis forward Kyle Anderson got ejected with 6:19 left for arguing an offensive foul. Brooks will be back for Game 4 on Monday night (Tuesday, PH time). (AP)

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