NBA roundup: Celtics overcome Bucks despite strong performance from Giannis

Jayson Tatum recorded 31 points and 12 rebounds, leading the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics to a 113-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's impressive 43-point effort for Milwaukee.

With this win, the Celtics improved their record to 9-2, placing them two games behind the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, while the Bucks fell to 2-8.

Payton Pritchard contributed 18 points off the bench for Boston, while Derrick White and former Buck Jrue Holiday each added 15 points, and Jaylen Brown contributed 14 points.

"It was a team effort," Holiday remarked. "It's challenging to achieve success alone. We accomplished it together."

This victory alleviated the memory of two significant defeats the Celtics suffered in Milwaukee last season.

"It feels great," Holiday stated. "We were blown out twice last year, so securing this win here with my family present is fantastic."

Antetokounmpo, the Greek superstar, also recorded 13 rebounds and had a moment of confrontation with Brown, elbowing him to the ground before offering assistance, only to retract his hand when Brown reached for it.

The Bucks held a 69-58 lead at halftime, but the Celtics surged ahead to a 87-84 advantage by the end of the third quarter, finishing the game with a 9-5 run, with Tatum scoring seven points during this critical period.

"We just elevated our intensity," Holiday explained regarding their third-quarter comeback. "We came out, made shots, stayed focused, and returned to playing Celtics basketball."

In Indianapolis, Bennedict Mathurin scored 38 points, and Tyrese Haliburton added 35 points and 14 assists, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 132-121 victory over the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson recorded 33 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who also saw Karl-Anthony Towns contribute 30 points and nine rebounds.

In Detroit, Jaden Ivey missed a potential game-winning three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left, allowing the Houston Rockets to secure a 101-99 victory on the road.

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Cade Cunningham scored 26 points, along with nine assists and eight rebounds for the Pistons in a losing effort.

SportsLigue