By Canadian Press

Irving, Horford lead Celtics past Bucks 112-90 in opener

Apr 28, 2019 | 2:28 PM

MILWAUKEE — Kyrie Irving had 26 points and 11 assists, Al Horford added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics cruised past the Milwaukee Bucks 112-90 on Sunday in the opener of their second-round playoff series.

Jaylen Brown chipped in with 19 points and Gordon Hayward had 13 off the bench for the Celtics. Boston controlled the game for long stretches and played stingy defence against MVP candidate Giannis Antetokoumpo, who scored 22 points but shot just 7 for 21. Antetokounmpo didn’t make his first field goal until the first minute of the second quarter.

Game 2 is Tuesday in Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton had 16 for Milwaukee, which completed a four-game sweep of the Detroit Pistons on Monday and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. The Celtics came off a sweep of their own against Indiana.

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The Celtics knocked Milwaukee out of the playoffs in seven games last year, winning the final game at home. This year, Milwaukee is the top seed in the East and has home-court advantage throughout the post-season after posting the NBA’s best record, but Boston didn’t play like an underdog in any way.

The Celtics jumped out early, leading by as many as 11 in the opening quarter. Boston shot 52% while the Bucks shot only 5 of 19.

The shooting woes continued for the Bucks until midway through the second quarter, when Milwaukee used a 15-0 run to pull even at 40. The teams then traded baskets with the Celtics grabbing a 52-50 lead at the half.

Boston used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to again build a double-digit lead, which grew to as much as 21 as Milwaukee again failed to make shots.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Boston players wore a black stripe with the No. 17 on their jerseys to honour Hall of Famer John Havlicek, who died Thursday at the age of 79. The team won eight championships during Havlicek’s 16 seasons with the Celtics. Havlicek was the MVP of the 1974 NBA Finals when the Celtics defeated the Bucks in Game 7 at the MECCA in Milwaukee. A moment of silence was held before tipoff. . G Marcus Smart travelled to Milwaukee but wasn’t in uniform. Smart has been out since suffering a left oblique tear on April 7. Smart has been practicing with the team but isn’t expected play in Game 2 either. “I don’t see any way that he’s available until what we thought initially, four to six (weeks) and I said at the start that four seems awfully aggressive,” coach Brad Stevens said. ….F/C Aron Baynes left the game in the third quarter after rolling his left ankle.

Bucks: Starting guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is recovering from a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot, remained out but took part in shooting drills before the game. He’s also expected to miss Game 2 before being re-evaluated. The 2017 Rookie of the Year has been out since March 15. . Center Pau Gasol (left foot soreness) was inactive. He missed the final 15 regular-season games and didn’t play in the opening round. There’s no timetable for his return.

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This story has been corrected to show the final score was 112-90 in the first paragraph.

Rich Rovito, The Associated Press