NBA: Celtics blitz Bucks, ruining Giannis Antetokounmpo's return

Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return to the court after missing 15 games with a strained right calf, but the Milwaukee Bucks were defeated 108-81 by the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday night.

Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 25 points and nine assists, while rookie Hugo Gonzalez posted career highs with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Derrick White added 18 points and nine assists, as Boston made 20 of 50 three-point attempts.

The Celtics played without leading scorer Jaylen Brown, sidelined by illness, and starting center Neemias Queta, who was given rest. Brown had been averaging 29.0 points per game, and Queta recorded 27 points and 17 rebounds in Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Antetokounmpo finished with team-high totals of 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first game since Jan. 23. He had been averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season.

Milwaukee struggled offensively, failing to score more than 23 points in any quarter and being outscored 25-16 in the fourth. The Bucks shot 36.5% from the field (27 of 74), with Ousmane Dieng contributing 13 points and Bobby Portis adding 12. Kyle Kuzma was a healthy scratch.

The Bucks opened the game with a 7-0 run but trailed 30-20 after the first quarter. Boston extended its lead to 22 points in the second quarter on a White three-pointer and held a 57-43 advantage at halftime.

Milwaukee briefly cut the deficit to nine early in the third, but a 15-0 Boston run, capped by a Gonzalez fastbreak layup, put the game out of reach at 74-50. The Celtics’ largest lead came late in the fourth, 102-71, following a Pritchard three-pointer with just over four minutes left.

This was the third meeting between the teams this season. The Bucks won 116-101 at home on Dec. 11, while the Celtics claimed a 107-79 home victory on Feb. 1.

—Field Level Media/Reuters