MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — The Milwaukee Bucks used a dominant second half to defeat the Boston Celtics 116-101 on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. Kevin Porter led the Bucks with a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Milwaukee erased a 67-60 halftime deficit by outscoring Boston 56-34 after the break. The Celtics shot just 38.6% from the field and 28.6% from 3-point range. Kyle Kuzma scored a game-high 31 points for Milwaukee, while Bobby Portis added 27 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Brown scored 30 points for Boston, and Jordan Walsh added 20. The Celtics fell to 15-10, while the Bucks improved to 11-15.

MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dramatic and decisive third-quarter collapse, the Boston Celtics saw a 15-point halftime lead evaporate into a 116-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. The defeat, which ran counter to both pregame projections and the flow of the first half, dropped Boston to 15-10 on the season, while Milwaukee improved to 11-15. The Celtics appeared in complete control through the first 24 minutes, leveraging hot shooting and active defense to build a 67-60 halftime advantage. Boston shot 51.9% from the field in the first half, including 10 of 24 from three-point range, and scored 35 points in the opening quarter. Jaylen Brown was the catalyst, pouring in 22 of his game-high 30 points before the break, while Jordan Walsh added 15 of his 20. Milwaukee, meanwhile, struggled to find a consistent rhythm, committing nine first-half turnovers. But the complexion of the game changed utterly and irrevocably in the third quarter. The Celtics’ offense disintegrated. They managed only 13 points in the period, shooting a frigid 4 of 24 from the field and 1 of 12 from beyond the arc. Their ball movement vanished, resulting in just a single assist. The Bucks seized the opportunity, unleashing a 27-13 quarter that flipped the scoreboard. A 19-4 Milwaukee run, powered by the interior scoring of Kyle Kuzma and the playmaking of Kevin Porter, turned the seven-point deficit into an 82-74 lead. Boston went nearly six minutes without a field goal during the stretch. “The most important part of the game was that third quarter,“ a game official said, summarizing the obvious turning point. “We stopped executing, stopped making shots, and they capitalized on every mistake.“ The Bucks’ efficiency was staggering. They finished the game shooting 58.2% from the field (46 of 79) and 44.8% from three-point range (13 of 29). Their offensive rating of 121.3 points per 100 possessions dwarfed Boston’s mark of 101.1, highlighting the stark difference in execution, particularly after halftime. Milwaukee was led by a triple-double from guard Kevin Porter, who tallied 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in 32 minutes, orchestrating the offense with precision. Forward Kyle Kuzma led all Bucks scorers with 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting, adding six rebounds. Bobby Portis provided a massive boost off the bench with a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 26 minutes, hitting critical shots during the second-half surge. For Boston, beyond Brown’s 30 and Walsh’s 20-point, eight-rebound effort, the supporting offense was scarce. The Celtics shot just 38.6% overall and 28.6% from deep. Payton Pritchard contributed 11 points and seven assists, and center Neemias Queta grabbed 10 rebounds. The Bucks also dominated the glass, outrebounding Boston 46-38, and their defense tightened significantly, holding the Celtics to 34 second-half points. Milwaukee’s 15 turnovers were mitigated by Boston’s 13, and the Bucks’ ability to generate higher-quality shots—79 field goal attempts to Boston’s 88—proved decisive. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Celtics, who had been one of the league’s hotter teams. They entered as heavy favorites, with statistical models giving them a 75.1% chance to win, and were installed as 7.5-point favorites on the betting line. The combined score of 217 fell well under the over/under line of 226.5, largely due to Boston’s second-half scoring drought. Milwaukee, which had lost four of its last five, found a much-needed victory by exploiting Boston’s prolonged lapse. The Celtics will look to regroup when they host the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The Bucks continue a homestand by hosting the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.

Preview: Celtics at Bucks, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — The surging Boston Celtics will look to extend their winning streak when they visit the struggling Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Thursday night. The Celtics (15-9) enter on a four-game win streak, most recently defeating the Toronto Raptors 121-113 on Sunday. They have won eight of their last 10 games. The Bucks (10-15), meanwhile, have lost three of their last four, including a 124-112 road loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. Boston’s success has been fueled by the stellar play of All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 31.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists over his last 10 games. He is coming off a 30-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist performance against Toronto. Derrick White added 27 points and Neemias Queta posted a double-double in the victory. Milwaukee will counter with guard Kevin Porter, who has been a bright spot during a difficult stretch. Porter is averaging 24.3 points and 6.6 assists over his last five contests. He scored 32 points in the loss to Detroit, but the Bucks’ defense has been a persistent issue, allowing an average of 117.5 points per game this season. The Celtics have dominated offensively during their streak, scoring at least 121 points in each of the four wins. Milwaukee’s defense, ranked near the bottom of the league, will face a significant challenge in slowing Boston’s momentum. This is the first meeting between the teams this season. Following this game, Boston begins a three-game homestand on Monday against Detroit. Milwaukee opens a three-game road trip on Sunday in Brooklyn. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.