Ryan Rollins shoots over Jaylen Brown in the Bucks' win over the Celtics on Thursday.
Ryan Rollins shoots over Jaylen Brown in the Bucks' win over the Celtics on Thursday.Aaron Gash/Associated Press
MILWAUKEE — The Celtics entered Thursday night’s game against the Bucks once again resembling the powerful 3-point shooting team that has made them so dominant in recent years.
They poured in 20 3-pointers in each of their last three games of their five-game winning streak, shooting better than 42 percent each time.
This matchup had a similar theme at the start, when the Celtics poured in 7 of 11 3-pointers in the opening quarter and raced to another double-digit lead. But this time, everything ultimately went splat.
The Celtics missed their first 16 3-pointers after halftime and finished the second half 3 of 26, a humbling cold streak that is impossible to overcome. This one led to a 116-101 loss against a Bucks team that was without injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jaylen Brown had 30 points to lead Boston and Jordan Walsh added 20 points and 8 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma had 31 points and Bobby Portis added 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Milwaukee shot 58.2 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from the 3-point line.
Before the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers was asked about Celtics wing Walsh’s emergence, particularly on defense. Rivers had some praise for Walsh and then there was an addendum.
“He can’t guard them all,” Rivers said.
But when the game started, it did not appear that way. Walsh gobbled up two steals in the opening three minutes, including one that left Kevin Porter Jr. on his rear end trying to tie his shoe rather than hustling back on defense.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to a small-ball group earlier than usual, inserting wing Josh Minott for center Neemias Queta just two minutes into the first quarter. Boston promptly seized control with a 16-2 run.
That surge included a two-minute segment in which the Celtics hit four 3-pointers in a row, maintaining their recent dominance from beyond the arc.
Although these Bucks hardly resemble the team that had so many intense battles with the Celtics over the years, Portis was a familiar holdover.
Trailing 21-8, the backup forward gave his team a necessary jolt of energy late in the opening period. In less than five minutes he made all four of his shots and poured in 11 points, with an 18-footer with 1:31 left pulling Milwaukee within 28-27.
But Brown, who was fairly quiet until the final minute, helped the Celtics closed the quarter authoritatively. After hitting a jumper, he set up a perfect two-for-one opportunity by hitting a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left. After a Gary Trent offensive foul, Brown then hit a 19-footer in the final second to push the lead back to 35-29.
The Celtics pushed their advantage back to 54-41 on a Hugo Gonzalez layup with 5:41 remaining in the second quarter before once again frittering away a double-digit lead.
With 3:41 remaining, Brown absorbed a shot to the ribs on a frantic Kuzma drive but was called for a blocking foul, resulting in a 3-point play. At the other end of the court he picked up his third foul when he discarded Kuzma, perhaps frustrated by the previous sequence. He sat for the rest of the half.
Three-pointers by Ryan Rollins and Trent made it 64-60, but the Celtics once again regained momentum at the end of a quarter when Walsh hit a 3-pointer from the corner with just 1.7 seconds remaining.
JORDAN WALSH CANNOT MISS 🎯
7-7 FGM. 3-3 3PM. 18 PTS.
Boston leads Milwaukee at halftime! pic.twitter.com/1OD7QF4EYn
— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2025
The Celtics took a 71-60 lead early in the third, but that is where their good vibes vanished. Kuzma scored 9 points during his team’s 11-0 run that tied the score.
When Portis checked back in, his first-half heat was still there. He hit a 3, scored inside and added a fadeaway that gave Milwaukee an 82-77 lead. He picked up a technical foul for taunting as he jogged back upcourt, but that moment energized this previously sleepy crowd.
At the other end, the Celtics struggled to find advantages against the Bucks’ zone defense, and the long-range shooting abandoned them. Boston was 0 for 12 from the arc in the quarter and 4 for 22 overall.
Portis, meanwhile, started the fourth with two more 3-pointers, helping the Bucks grab their largest lead, 95-82.
After a Rollins 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 98-84 lead, Hauser missed four consecutive shots on one trip upcourt, evidence that perhaps this would not be Boston’s night.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.