Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks 117-97 after early deficit

The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-97 on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, in the 10th regular-season game of the NBA season. Boston entered the game 7-2, while Milwaukee was 1-8.

Paul George led Boston with 27 points, and Jayson Tatum added 21, including five three-pointers. As a team, the Celtics made 18 of 48 three-point attempts.

The two teams arrived at the game in very different positions. Milwaukee had won only one of its first nine games, while Boston had won seven of its first nine. The Celtics also had won four straight games against the Bucks before this meeting, and in the all-time series Boston led 125 wins to 113. The game was the second of three meetings between the teams this season, and the first had already gone Boston’s way, 109-102, in Boston.

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Celtics’ 18-0 run erased a 14-point Bucks lead

Milwaukee opened with a 14-point advantage early in the game. Boston answered with an 18-0 run and reached halftime ahead 58-45. The Celtics then went more than six minutes without allowing a Bucks point, and they took control of the game from there, finishing with a 20-point margin.

The run changed the shape of the first half. Milwaukee had opened with a 14-point advantage, its largest early lead, and Boston answered with an 18-0 sequence that turned the game around. The Celtics went into halftime ahead 58-45, and they then stretched their defense further, going more than six minutes without allowing a Bucks point. Boston also made 18 of 48 three-point attempts in the game.

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Paul George and Jayson Tatum carry Boston’s scoring

George was Boston’s leading scorer, and Tatum was the second-leading scorer, with his five three-pointers spreading the floor for the Celtics. The win gave Boston a balanced offensive effort, with the three-point shooting providing much of the separation in the second half, when Milwaukee could not match the pace Boston set.

Mitchell Robinson’s best game of the season off the bench

Reserve center Mitchell Robinson had his best game of the season, scoring 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting, with seven rebounds and four steals. Before the game, the team had listed Robinson as questionable with an illness, but he played. Mike Conley started in place of Jordan Walsh, a change in Boston’s opening lineup.

Celtics vs Bucks: game sheet and season series

• Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, or 22:00 in Brasília
• Venue: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
• Competition: NBA regular season, game 10
• Final score: Boston Celtics 117, Milwaukee Bucks 97
• Record before the game: Boston 7-2, Milwaukee 1-8
• First meeting of the season: Boston 109-102, on Wednesday (4) in Boston

This was the second of three meetings between the two teams this season. The Celtics entered the game with four straight wins over Milwaukee, and the all-time series record stood at 125 wins for Boston and 113 for Milwaukee before this matchup. The Bucks, who have had a major roster overhaul since last season, entered the game on a five-game losing streak. Milwaukee traded Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, and hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach, replacing Doc Rivers.

Celtics’ next game: Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 10, 2026

After this game, Boston is scheduled to play at Philadelphia on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, according to a pregame preview of the game. The Celtics’ schedule continues with a road trip through Toronto before the team returns home. The Philadelphia details come only from that preview and have not been verified independently.

Still unconfirmed: records after the game and the third meeting

The records of both teams after the game have not been confirmed on an official page. The third and final meeting between Boston and Milwaukee is listed for April 11 in Boston, without a year, and that date has not been confirmed independently.