Rapid Recap: Smart, Kemba lead stunning comeback win over Bucks

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Rapid Recap is designed for the busiest of Celtics fans. Whether you can’t stay awake to read 10 paragraphs or your hangover is just too much, Rapid Recap tells the timeline of the game in only a minute or two.

TD Garden is a fun place again.

Tonight the Celtics hosted a rematch with the team that crushed them in last year’s playoffs, and for the first 24 minutes it looked like more of the same. But Boston buried the Bucks with a 74-47 second half to win going away, 116-105, and a familiar spirit returned.

Kemba Walker led the way with 32 points (13 in a huge fourth quarter), 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Gordon Hayward had 21 points, 7 assists and 10 boards. The player of the game was Marcus Smart, with 19/6/4, including 5 threes and some tremendous defense. Smart inspired the turnaround during the Celtics’ 38-18 blitz in the third quarter. Jayson Tatum added 25 points and capped the comeback by draining consecutive threes to close the third.

For Milwaukee, Khris Middleton led with 26 points. MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and 14 rebounds, but failed to dominate, thanks mostly to Smart’s effort.

Here’s your recap, Twitter-style, starting with bad news.

Early going was rough. (You expect Brook Lopez to hit 3s, but Robin?)

End of the first: Bucks 34, Celtics 19. Indicator: Milwaukee was 5 of 9 on threes while Boston was 4 of 8 on free throws. Second quarter wasn’t any better.

Some comic relief.

At halftime, the Celts trailed 58-42. They shot 15 of 44 while the Bucks were 20 of 43.

The third quarter looked bleak at first…

…but Smart refused to give in.

https://twitter.com/maxacarlin/status/1189713926939979777?s=20

Then suddenly…

The Truth was in the house, and Tatum knew it.

And the Celtics stunningly came all the way back to go ahead.

The Cs poured it on in the fourth.

The final minute saw Smart seriously mess with Giannis’ head.

The Garden crowd went home happy.

https://twitter.com/Vitricate/status/1189725909688999937?s=20

https://twitter.com/MsSamanthaMay/status/1189720842453819397?s=20

Box score

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