Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum drops 46 points to force Game 7 vs. Milwaukee Bucks

MILWAUKEE — Jayson Tatum wasn't about to let it happen again.

Two nights prior, the Boston Celtics had a prime opportunity to take control of the series but let Game 5 slip through their hands. That wasn't the case on Friday.

As the Milwaukee Bucks made a push in the fourth quarter, Tatum seemingly had an answer at every turn. Tatum scored 28 of his 46 points in the second half, including 16 in the fourth, as Boston held on for a 108-95 victory.

«That's why he gets paid the big bucks,» Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. «That's it right there. For moments like that. I was telling him the whole game, just be you man. He was. That's what he gets paid to do. That's what we that's what we lean on him to do.»

The best-of-seven series is tied at three games apiece. Game 7 is in Boston on Sunday afternoon.

In Game 5, the Celtics held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and were up six with two minutes to play before the Bucks snatched away a victory. On Friday night, the Celtics again held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter but made sure to leave with a different outcome.

Milwaukee cut the lead to as little as four but whenever the Bucks had momentum going, the thought of what happened in the previous game started to creep into the collective minds of the Celtics' bench. Boston coach Ime Udoka said he told his team to not get stagnant in the fourth quarter as they did a game ago and continue to go on the attack.

«We had the right resolve,» Udoka said. «We talked about after that game. We let an opportunity slip away but still had a chance to make it a better story, I guess. We felt good going into it because we played so well for three and a half quarters.

»Everyone was pissed about that outcome, but we knew how well we