NBA: Celtics dethrone Bucks, advance to Eastern Conference finals
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics gestures during the fourth quarter in Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on May 15, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Getty Images via AFP)
BOSTON – Grant Williams scored 27 points as the Boston Celtics eliminated the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday with a 109-81 game seven victory in their NBA Eastern Conference series.
Celtics forward Williams produced a deadly display of scoring from three-point range at the TD Garden as Boston advanced to a conference finals showdown with the Miami Heat with a 4-3 series win.
Article continues after this advertisementWilliams’s red-hot shooting from beyond the arc was emblematic of Boston’s superiority from the field as the Bucks missed a slew of wide open looks.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 25 points 20 rebounds and nine assists for Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden on May 15, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Getty Images via AFP)
But the Celtics’ three-point shooting accuracy proved the difference between the two teams as Boston completed a comeback from 3-2 down in the best-of-seven series.
Article continues after this advertisementBoston dropped 22 of 55 from downtown, in stark contrast to Milwaukee, who converted just four of 33 attempts from beyond the arc.
Williams led the three-point blitzkrieg with seven threes in his 27-point haul. Jayson Tatum made five-of-nine threes to finish with 23 points.
Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics reacts after making a three point basket during the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden on May 15, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Getty Images via AFP)
Payton Pritchard also got in on the act, with four three-pointers from the bench in a tally of 14 points.
Only one Milwaukee player — Bobby Portis — made multiple three-pointers. Portis finished with two in his 10-point haul.
Boston face top seeds Miami in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday in a rematch of their 2020 series.
Miami won that series 4-2 to advance to the NBA Finals.
