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Celtics rally to top lowly Bucks

Feb 11, 2014 - 6:11 AM Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeff Green poured in 29 points and the Boston Celtics stifled the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth quarter to take a 102-86 decision at the Bradley Center.

Kelly Olynyk recorded a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Phil Pressey and Jared Sullinger chipped in 13 points apiece for Boston. Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo missed the tilt due to rest.

The game was close through three quarters, but Boston opened it up in the fourth by outscoring its counterpart 32-18 in the final 12 minutes.

"We made a ton of long twos, a couple of threes and -- bang, bang, bang -- and we got a couple of stops," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said of the fourth quarter.

Brandon Knight paced Milwaukee with 22 points and Gary Neal added 17 off the bench for the Bucks, who have lost three straight and 18-of-20 overall. John Henson contributed 16 points in the setback.

Boston scored 32 points off of 21 Milwaukee turnovers and Knight led the team with five giveaways.

"You just can't turn the basketball over," Bucks coach Larry Drew admitted. "We just turned the basketball over today and it put us in such a dilemma. We got out of rhythm in particularly that fourth quarter."

Boston brought a slim 70-68 lead into the fourth and opened the final frame on a 9-1 run. Green opened the scoring with two straight buckets and Olynyk capped the spurt with a triple just two minutes in.

Knight knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:33 left to cut the deficit to seven, 82-75, but Olynyk followed with seven points during another 9-1 burst.

Boston's lead swelled to as many as 17 in the closing minutes and the Celtics split the four-game season series with the Bucks.

Earlier, Knight made a layup 3:57 into the contest to stake Milwaukee to an 11-4 lead.

Boston worked its way back into the game courtesy of a 14-6 run that Gerald Wallace capped with a 3-pointer to help the Celtics take a 24-22 lead.

Both teams played a tightly contested second quarter with neither team leading by more than five in a frame that saw three ties and three lead changes. Milwaukee shot 16-of-36 (44.4 percent) in the half compared to 19-of-48 (39.6 percent) for Boston, but the Bucks trailed 49-46 at the break despite outshooting their opponent.

Game Notes

Henson left the game midway through the fourth with a right ankle injury ... Boston outrebounded the Bucks 43-36 ... Knight shot 7-of-18 from the field ... Bucks center Larry Sanders missed the game after suffering a fractured orbital bone in Saturday's loss to Houston. He is expected to be back after the All- Star break ... Wallace scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting for Boston.