Milwaukee, WI — The Boston Celtics didn’t just win Monday night — they made a statement.
Behind a 25-point performance from Payton Pritchard and a breakout showing from rookie Hugo González, Boston rolled past the Milwaukee Bucks 108-81, dampening Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from injury.
González delivered the best performance of his young career, posting personal bests with 18 points and 16 rebounds in just his third start. The 28th overall pick in the 2025 draft entered the night averaging under four points per game but played with confidence and energy on both ends of the floor.
Derrick White added 18 points for Boston, and both he and Pritchard finished with nine assists as the Celtics extended their strong stretch, winning three consecutive games and seven of their last eight.
Antetokounmpo, back in the lineup for the first time since suffering a right calf strain on Jan. 23, tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. The Bucks managed an 8-7 record during his absence, but Monday’s loss highlighted ongoing inconsistencies. Milwaukee is now 15-16 in games Antetokounmpo has played this season and 11-18 without him.
Boston played shorthanded as five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown missed the game due to illness. The Celtics also rested Neemias Queta, who was coming off a career-high 27-point effort in Sunday’s win over Philadelphia.
Recent trade acquisition Nikola Vucevic made his first start for Boston since arriving from Chicago at the deadline. The two-time All-Star contributed 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds, providing veteran poise in the frontcourt.
The turning point came late in the opening quarter. Trailing 15-14, the Celtics unleashed a 24-5 surge that spanned into the second period, flipping the game and seizing a commanding 38-20 advantage. Boston maintained control the rest of the night.
The Celtics pushed their lead to 22 before taking a 57-43 cushion into halftime. Milwaukee briefly trimmed the deficit to single digits early in the third quarter, but Boston quickly answered with 15 unanswered points to put the game out of reach.
The loss marked Milwaukee’s third straight defeat, each coming by 23 points or more.
Up next, the Celtics return home to face Charlotte on Wednesday, while the Bucks remain in Milwaukee to host Atlanta.
