Giannis Antetokounmpo powered his way to the rim, trying to keep the Milwaukee Bucks’ title defense alive. Again and again, the ball just wouldn’t drop.
Layups, putbacks — shots that are usually automatic for the two-time MVP and reigning NBA champion — bounced fruitlessly away.
BOSTON (AP) — Celtics big man Robert Williams III will be available to play when Boston hosts the Bucks Sunday in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup.
Williams has missed three straight games with soreness and a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee.
Jayson Tatum scored 46 points, outdueling Giannis Antetokounmpo to make sure there wouldn’t be another Milwaukee fourth-quarter comeback, and the Boston Celtics beat the defending champions Bucks 108-95 on Friday night to force a seventh game in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jayson Tatum wouldn’t let it happen again.
With the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks attempting to complete a fourth-quarter comeback for the second straight game and close out their Eastern Conference semifinal, Tatum made sure the Boston Celtics instead kept their season alive and forced a decisive seventh game.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Boston forward/center Robert Williams missed his third straight game with an injured left knee as the Celtics tried to keep their season alive Friday night in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo is featured in a mural that will give the two-time NBA MVP a larger-than-life presence over downtown Milwaukee all year long.
The mural is 53½ feet high and 56½ feet wide, covering the side of a three-story building.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback. The Golden State Warriors seek to put an embarrassing loss behind them as both teams attempt to end their second-round series.
BOSTON (AP) — Bobby Portis made a putback off Giannis Antetokounmpo’s missed free throw with 15 seconds left, Jrue Holiday snuffed Marcus Smart on Boston’s final two possessions and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics 110-107 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 series lead.
BOSTON (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are still alive in the NBA playoffs, but star Giannis Antetokounmpo is already joking about his plans for next year.
BOSTON (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo was having his best shooting night of the playoffs. Milwaukee dominated on the boards. And still the Bucks trailed Boston by 14 points in a game that could send the defending NBA champions to the brink of elimination.
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic plays for Denver. And for Serbia.
Both places can once again make the same claim: For the second consecutive season, they’re home to the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
LONDON (AP) — Maybe it’s the ćevapi, or the souvlaki, or the mbanga soup.
Whatever it is, there’s no denying the tinge of international flavor when it comes to the NBA elite with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic winning the league’s MVP award for a second straight season Wednesday.
The journey of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers from difficult upbringings in Greece to NBA champions is the subject of an upcoming film.
“Rise” debuts June 24 on Disney+, the streaming service announced Tuesday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors’ fourth-quarter comeback for a 101-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night and a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Al Horford has played in more than two dozen postseason series in a 15-year NBA career but rarely has outwardly shown much emotion during all those appearances.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and made the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood a frantic flurry of shots in the final seconds to beat the Boston Celtics 103-101 on Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo found a way to get better shots and recapture his peak form just in time to help the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks regain the lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
BOSTON (AP) — For most of Game 1 of their second-round series opener against Milwaukee, the Celtics did pretty much everything they wanted to on the defensive end against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
They blitzed him early with multiple defenders when he received the ball in the post and forced him into turnovers.
BOSTON (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had already picked up his dribble and spent half of a Eurostep when he realized he had nowhere to go with the ball.
Instead of attempting an off-balance shot or passing to a well-guarded teammate, the two-time NBA MVP flicked the ball high off the backboard, then followed it to the rim for a slam dunk.
Preview capsule for the Boston-Milwaukee Eastern Conference semifinal series that starts Sunday:
No. 2 BOSTON CELTICS (51-31, 4-0) vs. No. 3 MILWAUKEE BUCKS (51-31, 4-1)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks continue to produce in the postseason even without key performers.
The Chicago Bulls simply don’t have that kind of depth or playoff savvy.
NEW YORK (AP) — Even as they rolled through the second half of their schedule, the Boston Celtics knew there was a notion they should lose.
Tanking a game down the stretch and falling out of the No.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso is in the NBA’s concussion protocol and is questionable for Game 5 of the first-round playoff series at Milwaukee, coach Billy Donovan said Monday.
The Bucks lead 3-1 and will try to wrap up the series at home on Wednesday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Grayson Allen once again responded to the boos from the fans and even his teammates by making shot after shot.
By the time he was finished, he had his highest point total in a postseason game.
CHICAGO (AP) — Reeling coming off a loss and with one of their best players sidelined, the Milwaukee Bucks delivered just the sort of performance they needed.
The defending NBA champions raced out to a big lead, making quick work of the Chicago Bulls.
The road back to the NBA Finals has become bumpy for the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
Devin Booker strained his right hamstring Tuesday in Phoenix and Khris Middleton sprained his left knee a night later in Milwaukee, leaving both teams without one of their All-Stars.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — On a night when their usually potent offense was searching for answers, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks had to rely on their defense in their playoff opener.
Fortunately for the Bucks, that’s the one part of their game that was at a championship level.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are downplaying their recent domination of the Chicago Bulls as they open the playoff portion of their title defense.
CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal, All-Star selections the past two years and a pair of slam dunk contest championships.
When it comes to postseason appearances, his resume has a glaring omission.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledges there is pressure in the NBA playoffs and after the winning the first title, “your mind wants to win a second time or a third time.”
The votes are in. Over the coming days and weeks, the NBA will announce the various award-winners for this regular season. And while nobody knows with absolute certainty where any of the trophies are going yet, this much is known: The MVP is going to be an international player.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid was good-naturedly swatted with towels by his 76ers' teammates as “MVP! MVP!” chants filled the arena.
Allen Iverson cheered from his courtside seat for Embiid, too.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid and James Harden are off to Toronto for the playoffs. Defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle is staying behind for the road games; he's not fully vaccinated and barred from entering Canada.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks used the final game of the regular season to rest up before defending their NBA crown.
The Cavaliers didn't have any such luxury.
Kevin Love made eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points as Cleveland took the No.
Joel Embiid is about to make a lot of history. And a half-dozen first-round or play-in game matchups are set to be decided.
The final day of the NBA season has no shortage of storylines.
A new scoring champion will be crowned and, barring something crazy, Embiid — who hails from Cameroon — will become the first international player to win that title.
DETROIT (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to help the Milwaukee Bucks rout the Detroit Pistons 131-101 on Friday night.
“I knew I had to be aggressive and play downhill tonight,” Antetokounmpo said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James will miss the final two games of the Los Angeles Lakers' season with a sprained left ankle, almost certainly preventing him from winning his second NBA scoring title.