Bucks Beat Boston Yet Again

April 30, 1983

Buck victory puts Celtics on the horns of dilemma

Boston MA

Boston MA -- BOSTON (UPI) - Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman combined for 56 points as Milwaukee Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter to overcome a 17-point disadvantage and defeat the Celtics 95-91 last night at Boston for a 2-0 lead in their National Basketball Association playoff series.



The best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final shifts to Milwaukee for the third and fourth games, tomorrow and Monday.

In yesterday's Western Conference semi-final at Denver, San Antonio Spurs edged the Nuggets 127-126 in overtime to lead their best-of-seven series 3-0.

The Celtics, playing without Larry Bird, who was sidelined with the flu, dropped the first two games of a playoff series for the first time since 1975. But it was the first time that the Celtics have lost the first two games of a playoff series at home.

Milwaukee turned the game around by outscoring the Celtics 18-6 over the first 9:43 of the fourth quarter, when Boston scored only nine points, one on a technical-foul shot. Bridgeman, Moncrief and Johnson had six points in the run as the Bucks finally overcame a 59-42 disadvantage to tie the score at 84-84 on a Johnson jumper from the baseline.

The score was tied twice more before Milwaukee took the lead for good with 3:07 left on a bank shot by Bob Lanier over the outstretched arm of Robert Parish. Brian Winters followed with an outside jumper to make the score 92-88 and, although Boston scored the next three points, Moncrief sealed the win with a 14-footer from the lane. A Lanier free throw with five seconds left rounded out the scoring.

Moncrief led Milwaukee with 20 points; Johnson had 19, Bridgeman 17 and Lanier 13. Danny Ainge led Boston with a career-high 25 points, all coming in the first 25 minutes; Scott Wedman had 18 on nine of 10 from the field, his best as a Celtic.