Wednesday Sports 5/1/19
1 May 2019 Sports
Sports from Wayne Mausser
Giannis Antetokoumpo had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Khris Middleton made seven of Milwaukee’s 20 3-pointers, and the Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 123-102 on Tuesday night to even their second-round playoff series at a game apiece.
Antetokoumpo bounced back from a sub-par performance in Game 1, repeatedly attacking the rim with powerful drives to the basket. He went 7 for 16 from the floor and 13 of 18 at the foul line.
Middleton finished with 28 points for Milwaukee, which went 20 for 47 from beyond the arc. Eric Bledsoe added 21 points and five assists. The Bucks led by as many as 31 points after a closely played opening half. Game 3 is Friday night in Boston.
Marcus Morris paced Boston with 17 points. Jaylen Brown had 16, and Al Horford finished with 15. Kyrie Irving, who had 26 points and 11 assists in the Celtics’ 112-90 victory in the series opener, finished with nine points on 4-of-18 shooting in 31 minutes.
Milwaukee broke it open by outscoring Boston 39-18 in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo scored 15 points in the period, including a 3-pointer over Horford to give the Bucks an 81-71 lead with 5:33 left.
Brook Lopez and George Hill each finished with 10 points for Milwaukee. Pat Connaughton grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Bucks to a 54-45 advantage on the glass.
Antetokounmpo came out in an aggressive mode, getting to the foul line for eight attempts in the first quarter and making five. But he missed his only three field goal tries in the period.
Irving was 0 for 6 from the field but the Celtics moved the ball freely while taking a 30-25 lead after one quarter. Boston was 9 of 21 from the field and 9 of 10 at the line in the period.
Antetokounmpo scored his first basket on a powerful left-handed dunk that got the Bucks within two and had the crowd on its feet early in the second quarter.
Milwaukee led 59-55 at the break, fueled by 3-pointers from Middleton, Bledsoe and Hill. The Bucks outscored the Celtics 34-25 in the second quarter.
Jesus Aguilar homered again and the Milwaukee Brewers, held without a runner for five innings, broke through late and beat the Colorado Rockies 4-3 on Tuesday night. Jhoulys Chacin pitched six scoreless innings for the Brewers, who have won the first two in the four-game series. Milwaukee has won 12 of its last 14 against Colorado, including a sweep in last season’s NL Division Series.
The Brewers again played without NL MVP Christian Yelich, who sat out with lower back soreness for the second straight game. Manager Craig Counsel said Yelich likely won’t play until the team opens a three-game series against the New York Mets on Friday.
German Marquez (3-2) took a perfect game into the sixth before surrendering a leadoff double to Ben Gamel that hit left fielder Raimel Tapia’s glove. Gamel later scored when pinch-hitter Ryan Braun grounded into a double play, making it 1-0.
Aguilar, who hit his first two home runs of the season on Monday night, connected for a three-run drive off Marquez in the seventh. Last year, Aguilar had 35 homers and 108 RBI.
Chacin (3-3) had struggled over his last four starts, giving up 15 runs in 17 2/3 innings. He allowed just two hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out one. Josh Hader got two outs for his seventh save in as many tries despite giving up a two-out, two-run homer to Ian Desmond in the ninth. Nolan Arenado’s run-scoring double in the ninth broke up the Brewers’ shutout.
The two teams continue their series tonight as Antonio Sensztela, who’s 2-1, goes against another right-hander Chase Anderson, who’s 2-0,. First pitch is at 6:40 from Miller Park and the game can be heard on AM1100/98.3FM, WISS.
Elsewhere in the N.L. Central on Tuesday, the Cardinals nipped the Nationals 3-2, the Mets slipped past the Reds 4-3, the Pirates beat the Rangers 6-4 and Cubs got past the Mariners 6-5.
The Brewers said RHP Freddy Peralta who’s bothered by right joint irritation will be activated from the injured list and start the series finale against the Rockies on Thursday. He has been out since April 16.
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