Paul George scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum added 21 as the Boston Celtics overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-97 on Sunday.
George shot 11-for-18 from the field, including five three-pointers, while Tatum also made five shots from beyond the arc. Boston improved to 8-2 and handed Milwaukee its eighth consecutive loss.
The Bucks initially controlled the game behind Kyle Kuzma, who scored 14 points in the opening five minutes. Milwaukee built a 20-6 advantage before Boston responded with an 18-0 run to take control.
Tatum scored Boston’s final 10 points of the first quarter, cutting the deficit to 27-25. George then opened the second period with eight consecutive points, including the three-pointer that gave the Celtics their first lead at 28-27.
Boston carried a 58-45 advantage into halftime and scored the first nine points of the third quarter. The Celtics extended their lead to 22 points and maintained at least a 15-point cushion for the remainder of the game.
Kuzma finished with 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including six three-pointers. Tyler Herro and Brayden Burries added 13 points apiece, while Nate Ament contributed 12 off the bench.
Myles Turner struggled offensively, finishing with three points on 1-for-8 shooting. However, the Milwaukee center recorded five rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
Turner has made just one of 15 attempts over his last two games. He followed a scoreless performance against Toronto on Friday with another difficult shooting night against Boston.
The Celtics received 12 points from Payton Pritchard and Mitchell Robinson, who went 6-for-6 from the field. Robinson also collected seven rebounds and recorded four steals in 18 minutes.
Neemias Queta added 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Derrick White contributed nine points, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Boston’s bench outscored Milwaukee’s reserves 44-37.
The Celtics shot 47% from the field and made 18 of 48 three-pointers. Milwaukee finished at 44% overall and 35% from beyond the arc, while Boston also held a 48-36 rebounding advantage.
Boston won the second meeting between the teams in five nights after beating Milwaukee 109-102 on Wednesday, when Tatum rested. The Celtics improved to 3-2 on the road and continued a four-game trip following Friday’s 119-80 victory over Charlotte.
Milwaukee dropped to 1-9, its worst start since the 1993-94 season, when the Bucks lost 10 of their first 11 games and finished 20-62. The current eight-game losing streak leaves little room for error as the team tries to recover from its difficult opening stretch.
The Celtics visit Philadelphia on Tuesday, while the Bucks travel to New York that night.
