MILWAUKEE — After losing a 20-point lead to the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks were determined not to lose another playoff game.

Leave it to Giannis Antetokounmpo to come up with a big play in the final seconds Sunday.

Antetokounmpo scored 27 points, including tipping in the go-ahead basket with five seconds left, and the Bucks held on for a 104-102 win to tie their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Marcus Morris of Boston missed a 14-footer at the buzzer with Khris Middleton’s hand in his face.

Seconds earlier, the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo jumped and reached up with his left arm around Jayson Tatum of Boston to put back Malcolm Brogdon’s missed layup for the winner.

“It’s a heck of play,” Milwaukee Coach Joe Prunty said.

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Game 5 will be Tuesday night at Boston.

Antetokounmpo added seven rebounds and five assists, and Middleton scored 23 points. They were clutch in the closing seconds of a tense victory, another sign of maturity for the one of the league’s up-and-coming teams.

“One of the most important things that we can carry from this game moving forward is that we stayed disciplined and we trusted one another,” Antetokounmpo said.

It could just as easily have fallen apart for Milwaukee after losing a 20-point lead with 7:37 left in the third quarter.

Jaylen Brown had 34 points for the Celtics and Tatum added 21. Tatum’s 18-footer with 52 seconds left gave the Celtics a brief 100-99 lead.

He just couldn’t hold off Antetokounmpo on the other end for the decisive tip-in.

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The disappointing end for the Celtics overshadowed their spirited rally from a 65-45 deficit. Play got chippy and the Celtics limited the Bucks’ transition game.

They came up one basket short at the end.

Antetokounmpo “made a great tip-in and he was battling for the ball. That’s what great players do,” Coach Brad Stevens said.

Both teams traded clutch buckets down the stretch.

After Tatum’s long jumper, Brogdon hit a transition 3 from the corner for a 102-100 lead with 33 seconds left. Al Horford followed with two foul shots to male it 102-102 with 29 seconds remaining.

They couldn’t send the game into overtime. Morris bent over in frustration near the Boston bench after his fadeaway hit the rim.

“We got the look we wanted … It’s a shot that (Morris) can make 10 out of 10 times,” Brown said. “It didn’t go in tonight. So Game 5, keep moving forward.”

NOTES: Stevens kept his starting five intact after the team never recovered from a disastrous first quarter in Game 3. Stevens said he would likely only make a switch for matchup purposes. … Boston ended with a 43-36 edge on the boards. …Morris finished with 13 points and shot 4 of 14. … Brown picked up the second 30-point game of the postseason after scoring just one 30-point game in the regular season. He was 13 of 24 from the field but 2 of 10 from the 3-point arc. …The Bucks shot at least 52 percent from the field for the third straight game. Bucks starting center John Henson missed a second straight game with a sore back. … Jabari Parker led a vigorous effort off the bench with 16 points and seven rebounds for Milwaukee. Backup center Thon Maker blocked five shots and played most of the fourth quarter.


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