Celtics Beat Bucks, Advance To Second Round

Al Horford and Terry Rozier scored 26 points apiece to help the Celtics beat the Bucks 112-96 in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. The Celtics advance to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.

Horford added eight rebounds, and Rozier had nine assists. Jayson Tatum added 20 points for the Celtics, who will begin their series with Philadelphia Monday night in Boston.

Khris Middleton scored a game-high 32 points, while Eric Bledsoe added 23 and Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 22 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks.

The Celtics led 50-42 at the half, with Horford leading the way with 14 points and seven rebounds at the break.

Milwaukee cut the deficit to three points early in the third, but the Celtics gave themselves some cushion by ending the quarter with an 11-4 run.

The Celtics won all four games at home and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight year.

Jaylen Brown limped to the locker room with a hamstring strain late in the second quarter. The team said he was available to return, but Brown never stepped back on the court.

“I was told that if we got in a pinch, he could play,” head coach Brad Stevens said after the game. “We decided that was not gonna happen.”