On May 10, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs Eastern Conference semifinals continued, and the Celtics and Bucks ushered in the fourth game of the series. The Celtics made a big splash in the final quarter, and in the end they defeated the Bucks 116-108 to chase the two-side series to 2-2.
Stats: Celtics Tatum had 30 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, Horford had 30 points and eight rebounds, Brown had 18 points and Smart had 18 points and eight assists. The Bucks had 34 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, Holliday had 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, Lopez had 17 points and seven rebounds, Matthews had 12 points and Connaughton had 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Bucks made it 6-0 in the first quarter, with Celtics Horford, Tatum and Smart trailing 6-8. The Bucks then used three points to extend their lead, and with 3:19 the Bucks leading by 10 points at 21-11, the Celtics requested a timeout. After the timeout, the Celtics chased five consecutive points, and Alphabet Brother scored four points in the final minute, and the Bucks led the Celtics by 7 points at the end of the first quarter.
The Celtics began to close the gap in the first half of the second quarter, with Tatum's three-point shot helping them chase down 31 draws. With 6:35 on Horford's three-point shot, the Celtics 34-33 backed by one point and the Bucks requested a timeout. The two sides were locked up in a stalemate on the court after the timeout, with Connaughton's three-pointer and Matthews' three-point lead to give the Bucks a three-point lead at 48-45. G-Williams hit two free throws in the final minutes, and at halftime the Celtics trailed by one point 47-48.
The Bucks started 6-1 in the third quarter to extend their advantage to six points. The Bucks have since extended their advantage to eight points with free throws from Alphabet Brother and Holliday. Horford and Tatum hit back-to-back three-pointers as the Celtics trailed by just two points at 7:01 and the Bucks asked for a timeout. Alphabet Brother scored five points to lead the team to a wave of 7-0, and the Bucks led 76-65 in 3 minutes and 13 seconds to stop the Celtics. Brown and White shot three-pointers in succession after the timeout, and the Celtics trailed by seven points 73-80 in the third quarter.
The Celtics started 8-1 in the final quarter and drew 81-81. Horford hit a three-pointer at 8:01 and the Celtics rebounded by three points at 88-85. At one point, Alphabet brother helped the Bucks regain the lead 94-92, but then Horford and Tatum teamed up to play a 14-2 attack wave, and the 106-96 point difference was stretched to 10 points, and the Bucks requested a timeout. The three-pointers by Allen and Matthews after the timeout closed the gap to six points, and Smart's throw and Brown's two free throws gave the Celtics a 10-point lead at 112-102. The Celtics have since maintained their lead, winning the game 116-108.