Paul George and Jayson Tatum lead Celtics to a 117-97 victory over the Bucks

Paul George and Jayson Tatum propelled the Boston Celtics to a 117-97 victory over the struggling Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night. This was the second encounter between these two teams in just five nights. On Wednesday, the Celtics had triumphed 109-102 against Milwaukee while resting Tatum. Boston's record stands at 8-2, whereas the Bucks are currently 1-9, marking their worst start since the 1993-94 season.

Kyle Kuzma led the Bucks with 27 points, but Myles Turner was less impactful, registering just three points for his team alongside five rebounds and a career-high seven assists. Turner, who has been struggling with his form over the last two games, had earlier been sidelined in a 121-107 NBA Cup loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics utilized a considerable lead to bench Tatum for the entire fourth quarter, allowing him to rest during the Celtics' prolonged winning streak. Tatum and George orchestrated an 18-0 run that solidified the Celtics' control over the game in the first half. Tatum scored the last ten points of the first quarter, closing Milwaukee’s early 27-25 lead.

George initiated the second half with eight points, delivering a three-pointer in the second period's opening minute to secure Boston's initial lead at 28-27. Later, he added another three-pointer and a layup, cementing the 18-0 scoring streak.

Throughout the game, the Celtics maintained a dominant lead, outscoring Milwaukee by at least 15 points from the third period onwards. The Celtics now head to Philadelphia for a game on Tuesday night, while the Bucks travel to New York for a matchup on the same night.