Celtics beat Bucks 109-102 behind George and White scoring

Paul George scored 25 points, including five three-pointers, and Derrick White added 24 points and seven assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 109-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

The Celtics, who improved to 5-0 at home, held a 21-point lead at halftime and a 22-point advantage during the second quarter. However, Milwaukee mounted a 26-12 run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to single digits. Tyler Herro contributed 18 of his 25 points in that period, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 18 for the Bucks, who dropped to 1-7 and 0-4 on the road.

Baylor Scheierman provided a spark off the bench for Boston with nine points and 11 rebounds. The game remained tight into the fourth quarter, with Ryan Rollins scoring 13 points for Milwaukee. The Bucks trailed 91-89 with 8:17 remaining after Rollins hit two shots. Nate Ament then scored a layup to tie the game at 91 after a turnover by George following a timeout.

Milwaukee took its first lead of the game at 92-91 on a free throw by Ament. Boston’s Jayson Tatum, who missed the game for rest, watched from the bench alongside Payton Pritchard, who exited the fourth quarter with a right eye abrasion. White stabilized the Celtics’ offense with a sequence that put Boston up 102-97 with 2:22 remaining.

The Celtics outscored Milwaukee 12-5 over the final three minutes of play. Boston finished the game shooting 41% from three-point range, making 16 of 39 attempts. Tatum, who scored 19 points in Monday’s 109-93 loss to the Houston Rockets, sat out for the first time this season.

The Bucks host the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The Celtics begin a four-game road trip against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.