Holiday scores 40 as Bucks down Celtics in overtime thriller

LOS ANGELES: Jrue Holiday produced a scintillating 40-point performance as the Milwaukee Bucks snatched a dramatic 131-125 overtime victory against the Boston Celtics in a pulsating clash between the Eastern Conference heavyweights on Tuesday.

Holiday’s virtuoso display included seven points in overtime — including a crucial three-pointer to give Milwaukee the lead — as the Bucks stretched their unbeaten streak to 11 games.

The 32-year-old two-time All-Star also conjured the moment of the game in the third quarter, launching a remarkable 41-foot bucket to get Milwaukee within five points after Boston had led by 14 just minutes earlier.

It was one of eight three-pointers nailed by Holiday, who was given heavy scoring support from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo finished with 36 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The Bucks improved to 40-17 with the win, and are now just half a game behind Eastern Conference leaders Boston, who fell to 41-17 following the loss.

The Celtics, however, will take heart from a gutsy performance from what amounted to a second string starting lineup.

Boston went into the game missing several key players including Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Yet for long periods the depleted Celtics threatened to end the Bucks’ winning streak in front of their home crowd at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum.

Milwaukee reached half-=time with a slender one-point advantage, leading 64-63.

But an inspired Boston performance in the third quarter saw the Celtics go 14 points clear before Milwaukee engineered a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to five points.

Boston appeared to have stopped the bleeding with a Payton Pritchard layup and a free throw but Holiday’s monster 41-footer on the