Celtics beat Bucks 112-107 to earn 9th straight win at home

The Celtics, coming off a 1-2 road trip that gave them three losses in five games, continued their longest home winning streak since an 11-gamer in 2012-13.

Overall the Bucks held their own in Boston, rallying from an 18-point second half deficit to close within four of the Celtics in the final minute of a 112-107 loss. All five Boston starters were in double figures. So we just try to keep it going. I just know where he is when I’m attacking and we connect.

But it seemed every time the Bucks would close the gap, the Celtics (34-25) had an answer.

After the Celtics dropped two of their first three games following the All-Star break, coach Brad Stevens all but reduced his message to one word as his team prepared to open a season-high, five-game homestand: pride. We needed him to be that against these guys tonight. Crowder took the 3 without hesitation and swished it, giving Boston a 109-102 lead with 50 seconds remaining. “He’s an all-star, well-deserved”.

The play sent IT’s teammates and the rest of TD Garden into a frenzy, while the Bucks looked lost in the headlights and could only shake their heads in disbelief.

Thomas, who at 5-foot-9 is the shortest active player in the league, took on the longest team in the NBA Thursday night, yet he was the one playing like a giant among men.

Crowder’s defensive ability and physical play was crucial to counter the Bucks length. Stevens initially allowed them to remain on the court, but pulled him few minutes later after Crowder was called for his fifth foul, and then a technical. “And we’ll fill it if we need to, but sometimes those things happen as a result of injuries”. Thomas piled up 12 points to go along with two assists in Crowder’s absence, as the Celtics extended their lead and went into the fourth quarter with a 15 point lead, their largest of the night.

Then Thomas and Crowder combined on their rally-killing play.

Thomas was in the process of sinking two floaters over Milwaukee coverage, sandwiching them around a Jabari Parker dunk that was the Bucks forward’s third straight basket in a four-basket string.

“Jabari and Giannis both had pretty good games”, Kidd said.

Carter-Williams may be confident too since his teams are 3-0 in Boston when he plays, with the MA native averaging 14.0 points and 6.7 assists. We’ll get to a point of saying that’s a bad night for him.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Michael Carter-Williams has yet to lose in his home state.

Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, in Boston.

“We’ve got to stop fouling”. We had some turnovers there, also offensive rebounds. “They had a lot of fast-break points and that hurts”. Forward Jonas Jerebko had eight rebounds off the Boston bench.Johnson, who has been bothered by back trouble, had totaled 10 points and seven rebounds in the previous four games. They led by 10 at the end of the first quarter and had the lead up to 17 with 7:23 left in the first half.

“We’re going to get on a roll”, Parker said.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference with 10 wins in their last 14 games, but they’ll be looking to bounce back from their last outing, a disappointing 124-122 loss at Minnesota on Monday.