IME UDOKA

The NBA’s long regular season can be tedious, but make no mistake, it matters.

Jayson Tatum scored 46 points, outdueling Giannis Antetokounmpo and making sure there wouldn’t be another Milwaukee Bucks fourth-quarter comeback, and the Boston Celtics beat the defending champions 108-95 to force a seventh game in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

The Milwaukee Bucks want to build off the momentum from a thrilling comeback.

Al Horford and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points each and led the Boston Celtics’ fourth-quarter comeback in a 116-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that tied their Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and made the go-ahead basket with 44.3 seconds left and the Milwaukee Bucks withstood a frantic flurry of shots in the final seconds to beat the Boston Celtics 103-101 on Saturday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton will miss at least two more games in the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Boston Celtics as he recovers from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half, and the Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-86 to even their second-round playoff at one game apiece.

Game 1 showed that whoever wins the 1-on-1 scoring battle between Memphis’ Ja Morant and Stephen Curry of the Warriors doesn’t mean their team will win the game or their Western Conference semifinal.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had his second career postseason triple-double to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 101-89 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

The only team to register a first-round sweep, the Boston Celtics enter their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks loaded with confidence.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics rallied from 17 points down to beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-107 and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown had 31 points and 10 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics coast to a 134-112 over the Minnesota Timberwolves and take over the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Luka Doncic returned from a hamstring scare to hit a tying 3-pointer with a 1:21 left, Spencer Dinwiddie made the winner with nine seconds to play and the Dallas Mavericks spoiled Kevin Garnett’s special day by beating the Boston Celtics 95-92 on Sunday.

Gregg Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA regular-season history, getting his 1,336th victory when the San Antonio Spurs rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 104-102.

CNBC sports business reporter Jabari Young experienced the Jan. 10 NBA courtside game between the Celtics and Pacers on the Oculus 2 headset.

The Boston Celtics say Hall of Famer Sam Jones has died at the age of 88.

Jaylen Brown scored 34 points and the Boston Celtics beat depleted Cleveland 111-101 on Wednesday night to end the Cavaliers’ winning streak at six.

The Boston Celtics signed 40-year-old Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract Wednesday.

LeBron James scored 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-102 in the latest chapter of the NBA’s most storied rivalry.

Dejounte Murray had 29 points and 11 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs rallied in the final minute after blowing a 24-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics 96-88 on Friday night, snapping a six-game skid.

The Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 123-104.

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and the Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles 130-108 in Lakers star LeBron James’ return.

Dennis Schröder scored eight of his season-high 38 points in overtime and the Boston Celtics took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-113.

Julius Randle scored 35 points, Evan Fournier made the go-ahead 3-pointer in the second overtime and the New York Knicks outlasted Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics 138-134.

The Brooklyn Nets look like such a title favorite that James Harden felt the need for a reminder they aren’t a title team.

New Dallas coach Jason Kidd is already thinking of ways to tell Luka Doncic he has help on the roster.

The pandemic and vaccination rates were the talk of the NBA on media day Monday.

Jamahl Mosley has agreed to become the new coach of the Orlando Magic.

The San Antonio Spurs are set to lose rising assistant coach Will Hardy to the Boston Celtics, according to a report in The Athletic.

A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the Boston Celtics have hired Brooklyn Nets assistant Ime Udoka to be their new coach.

The Brooklyn Nets had all the shooting and scoring any team could ever want.