National Basketball Association
Boston 105, Milwaukee 100
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Officials:
#46 Ben Taylor, #19 James Capers, #42 Eric Lewis
Attendance:
17316
By The Sports Xchange
MILWAUKEE -- Forward Luigi Datome hit three 3-pointers and finished with 22 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-100 Wednesday night in the regular-season finale at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
With guard Avery Bradley back in Boston nursing a quad injury, Datome was in the starting lineup for the first time this season. He hit nine of 15 shots from the field in 27 minutes of action.
Forward Jonas Jerebko and center Kelly Olynyk each added 16 points for Boston, which shot 49.4 percent as a team and made 13 of 30 3-point attempts (43.3 percent).
The Celtics (40-42) head the playoffs on a roll, having won six in a row and eight of their last nine. Boston, the seventh seed, will face the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the postseason.
While posting a 26-game improvement from an NBA-worst 15-67 finish a year ago, Milwaukee (41-41) missed a chance to finish above .500 for just the second time in 11 seasons.
However, with a playoff spot and No. 6 seed already sealed, Bucks coach Jason Kidd opted to limit many of his starters' minutes. Milwaukee will open the playoffs against the third-seeded Chicago Bulls.
The Celtics sank seven 3-pointers in the opening two quarters and held a 49-45 lead at halftime.
Forward Ersan Ilyasova scored 16 of his team-leading 21 points in the third quarter, but Milwaukee still trailed by one heading into the fourth. The Celtics used a 9-2 run to go up 84-78 with 8:47 to play.
Shooting guard Khris Middleton hit six of seven first-half shots and scored 13 of his 18 points before the break. Shooting guard O.J. Mayo played 26 minutes off the bench and hit seven of 14 shots to finish with 16 points.
The Bucks shot 46.1 percent from the field and 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) on 3-pointers.
NOTES: Boston was without PG Isaiah Thomas, who was given a night off. Thomas has appeared in 67 games this season, including the last 11 in a row. ... The Bucks failed to lock down their first winning season since 2009-10, when they finished 46-36. ... The Bucks outrebounded the Celtics 48-38. Milwaukee F Johnny O'Bryant grabbed a game-high nine rebounds in 22 minutes.
Top Game Performances
Boston |
|
Milwaukee |
Luigi Datome 22 |
Scoring |
Ersan Ilyasova 21 |
Phil Pressey 7 |
Assists |
Tyler Ennis 8 |
Jonas Jerebko 6 |
Rebounds |
Johnny O'Bryant III 9 |
Kelly Olynyk 2 |
Free Throws Made |
Michael Carter-Williams 3 |
Marcus Smart 3 |
Steals |
Miles Plumlee 3 |
Jared Sullinger 3 |
Blocks |
John Henson 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Boston
|
105 |
49.4 |
13-30 |
8-14 |
37 |
38 |
5 |
9 |
17 |
Milwaukee
|
100 |
46.1 |
7-21 |
11-16 |
35 |
48 |
2 |
7 |
17 |
Upcoming Games
-
Milwaukee will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Bucks have a W/L % of .463 after a win and .537 after a loss.
-
Boston will play their next game on the road against Cleveland. The Celtics have a W/L % of .550 after a win and .429 after a loss.