Milwaukee advances to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001 with a 25-point win. If you missed any action, check below for updates throughout Game 5. The Bucks advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001 The Bucks, owners of the league's best regular-season record, advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001with a dominant 25-point win over the Boston Celtics. If you missed any of below for updates from throughout the decisive Game 5… Final: Bucks 116, Celtics 91 (Bucks win 4-1) Milwaukee uses a balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive performance to cruise to a 25-point series-clinching win over Boston Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and two steals but he received plenty of help. Khris Middleton (19 points), Eric Bledsoe (18 points), George Hill (16 points), Ersan Ilyasova (10 points), Nikola Mirotic (10 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (10 points) each finished in double figures. The Bucks shot 42-for-94 (44.7%) from the field while holding the Celtics to 29-for-93 (31.2%) shooting for the game. Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 15 points (on 6-for-21 shooting) while Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum both added 14 points apiece. Jaylen Brown finished with 12 points in the game and Al Horford added nine points on 4-for-13 shooting. The Bucks await the winner of the series between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers. End of third quarter: Bucks 80, Celtics 62 The Bucks take their biggest lead of the night into the fourth quarter and are 12 minutes away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 18 years. After a relatively quiet scoring first half, Giannis Antetokounmpo has made his presence felt with 10 third-quarter points to bring his total for the game to 16 points. The Bucks MVP candidate has also added eight assists, seven rebounds and two blocks on the game. Khris Middleton (17 points), Eric Bledsoe (13 points) and Nikola Mirotic (10 points) are the three other Bucks to have scored in double figures through three quarters. Kyrie Irving still leads the way for Boston with 13 points but is now 5-for-19 from the field. After a one-point first half, second-year forward Jayson Tatum scored 11 points in the third quarter to bring his total for 12 points on the night. Boston is shooting an ice-cold 19-for-71 (26.8%) from the field and will look to warm up to have a chance to claw back into this one. Halftime: Bucks 52, Celtics 39 Milwaukee outscores Boston 30-20 to build a 13-point halftime lead. The @Bucks pull away in the 2nd Q to take a 52-39 lead over the Celtics at the half! 👀 Mirotic - 10 PTS, 7 REB Bledsoe, Hill - 9 PTS#FearTheDeer | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RO7kyUlORx - NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2019 It's been a rough shooting night for the Celtics, who are 13-for-51 (25.5%) from the field and 4-for-23 (17.4%) from beyond the arc. In the second quarter alone, Boston connected on just two of its 14 3-point attempts. Though he has a game-high 13 points, Kyrie Irving's shooting woes continue as he is 5-for-13 (31.3%) from the field. Milwaukee, on the other hand, is heating up as it shot 4-for-9 from deep and 11-for-22 from the field in the second frame thanks to the play of Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Nikola Mirotic and George Hill. Mirotic has a team-high 10 points at the half while Bledsoe (nine points), Hill (nine points) and Middleton (eight points) aren't too far behind. Giannis Antetokounmpo has just six points but has also dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds. End of first quarter: Bucks 22, Celtics 19 After leading by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, the Bucks take a three-point lead into the second frame. Milwaukee is led by five points from both Nikola Mirotic and Eric Bledsoe while Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored three points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked two shots. Kyrie Irving leads Boston with six points but is 2-for-9 from the field. Boston is shooting 6-for-26 (23.1%) from the field as a team while Milwaukee isn't much better at 7-for-22 (31.8%). Pregame Milwaukee goes with Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Mirotic and Brook Lopez to start. Boston will employ a different starting lineup featuring Aron Baynes at the centre alongside Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford Aron Baynes is back in the starting lineup pic.twitter.com/RA4hCx0H1D - Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 8, 2019 The Celtics Marcus Smart made a triumphant return in Game 4 and is expected to reprise his role in Game 5 (in limited minutes). #NEBHInjuryReport Brad Stevens on Marcus Smart: "He'll play, probably a little bit limited compared to usual (regular-season minutes), but he's certainly in the plan to play some." - Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 8, 2019 After missing the last 17 games with a foot injury, 2017 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon is back in action for Game 5.<doc-sep>Welp, it is a win-or-go home situation tonight for the Boston Celtics. They are down 3-1 with no more room for error as the series heads back to Milwaukee. A loss tonight will be the end of the season which started with such high hopes. After Monday night’s Game 4, there did not seem to be much fight left in this team. They will have to channel everything they have to extend this season past tonight. Game 4 was once again a defensive struggle in containing Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Celtics have not been able to harness that success from Game 1 when they executed the perfect game plan and limited Giannis on the score sheet. Monday night he finished with 39 points and 16 rebounds. This was with him sitting most of the third quarter with foul trouble. He was able to get to the rim and either get fouled or finish with a layup. This will be the same focus of Game 5 if the Celtics have any shot to win this game. As stated by Kyrie Irving post-game, the Celtics’ defense suffers immensely when their offense falls flat and they start missing shots. When the shots aren’t falling, the team just turns off the intensity on the defensive end. It can’t be explained and does not seemed to be addressed. We saw this all year long with the roller coaster ride of the season, and it has bled into these playoffs against the best defensive team in the league. The only way this team can focus and steal Game 5 is if they stick to their offense of making the extra pass for a better shot attempt. They have fallen into hero ball too many times, and it has destroyed the chances in these games for the Celtics. Game 5 will be the test of when it is the darkest hour for the team, can they rally behind that and force a Game 6. The keys offensively will be to continue the rhythm and flow they establish early. Each game has been close going into halftime. Only then, in the third quarters, have the Celtics collapsed and turned into a shell of their best self. Specifically, look for the Celtics to feature Al Horford in the offense more tonight. He has been highlighted on defense guarding Giannis, but he will take this opportunity to be the veteran leader and impact the game on both sides. As mentioned, the main focus will be defensively against this Bucks team. They will most likely not be adjusting too many things with their offense. Why should they? The Bucks have gotten the exact performances they have wanted for the past three games. For the Celtics, they should try and adjust to the Bucks seeking out Kyrie on any screen action. They know that the Celtics are switching everything so why not get a Giannis-Kyrie matchup to exploit. For Game 5, the Celtics need to fight through the screens or see the screen coming to avoid the mismatch. It won’t be easy, but anything to make Giannis as uncomfortable as possible. The injury report will be a bit shorter than normal as the Celtics go into this game with a clean bill of health. Marcus Smart returned from injury last game and made an impact at least in terms of the crowd noise. The TD Garden faithful were waiting to explode when Smart checked into the game. Unfortunately, he got a bit of the hero ball attitude and went 1-7 from the field. Defensively, however, he made a big difference pairing up against Khris Middleton. It is an important for the Celtics that Marcus Smart is back in the lineup. It was huge news earlier today for the Bucks of Malcolm Brogdon being cleared to play in tonight’s game. They had missed him all playoffs and will most likely be inserted into the lineup for Game 5. He was a 50-40-90 guy during the whole regular season and will give the Bucks a more consistent option on offense than Sterling Brown or Pat Connaughton, who has actually been a solid bench option for the Bucks this series. Malcolm Brogdon will be a massive lift to the Bucks starting lineup for Game 5. This game will be it for the Celtics if they don’t kick it into gear. It is put up or shut up time. The Celtics must prove to everyone that they are not the disappointment many are labeling them as after this series. Yes, the Bucks are a very, very good team, but with the talent the Celtics have, they still should be able to compete in this series. It did not look promising after seeing the body language of Game 4, however, if they can just push it to a Game 6 back in Boston anything can happen. Celtics fans and media alike must keep the faith alive and see what happens going into tonight’s game. This is the time for this team to prove who they really are. Projected Starters PG – Kyrie Irving – Eric Bledsoe SG – Jaylen Brown – Malcolm Brogdon SF – Jayson Tatum – Khris Middleton PF – Marcus Morris Sr. – Giannis Antetokounmpo C – Al Horford – Brook Lopez Injuries Boston – NONE Milwaukee- Donte DiVincenzo (Heel); Pau Gasol (Ankle) How To Watch Time- 8:00 EST TV– TNT / NBC Sports Boston<doc-sep>After an ugly Game 4 showing, the Boston Celtics now are facing elimination. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks took a commanding 3-1 series lead Monday thanks to the MVP candidate’s 39 points and 14 rebounds. The Celtics received some reinforcements from Marcus Smart, as he returned for his first postseason game of the year, but now it’s Milwaukee’s turn. Malcolm Brogdon will be back in the lineup for Game 5 at Fiserv Forum. Here’s how to watch Celtics-Bucks Game 5: When: Wednesday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET TV Channel: TNT Live Stream: TNT Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images<doc-sep>
Aaron Gash/Associated Press Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon is expected to make a surprise return to the team's rotation for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics after completing his recovery from a foot injury. The Bucks announced Brogdon is now probable for Wednesday night's game despite being listed as out on Tuesday's injury report. Brogdon has been sidelined since suffering a plantar fascia tear in his right foot during a March 15 game against the Miami Heat. He missed the team's entire first-round sweep of the Detroit Pistons. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters Nikola Mirotic will remain in the starting lineup for Game with the 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year coming off the bench with a minutes restriction in his first game back. It's unclear exactly how much playing time he'll receive. Video Play Button McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer" Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear 29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes Right Arrow Icon The 26-year-old Atlanta native averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 threes across 64 appearances (all starts) during the regular season. He shot 50.5 percent from the field, including 42.6 percent on threes. Milwaukee holds a 3-1 lead in its series with Boston, so conventional wisdom suggests it will work Brogdon back into the rotation slowly to prepare him if they secure a berth in the conference finals. His likely return to the starting lineup for the rest of the playoffs would shift Giannis Antetokounmpo back to the 4 and Khris Middleton to the 3 with Mirotic heading back into a reserve role. That said, the Bucks must first close out the Celtics. Their first chance comes Wednesday with tip off at Fiserv Forum scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on TNT.