Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat (Getty Images via AFP)
LOS ANGELES – The Miami Heat topped the Eastern Conference Playoffs on Thursday as the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers suffered street defeats against the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
The Celtics lost 127-121 to the Bucks in Milwaukee and the Raptors lost 119-114 to the Philadelphia in Toronto.
Combined results led Miami to an unbeaten lead of 52-28 at the top of the Eastern Conference with two regular season games remaining.
Milwaukee’s win against Boston puts the box in the pole position before claiming a second seed.
Giannis Antetokunampo of Milwaukee Box (Getty Images via AFP)
Milwaukee 50-30 with a game against the lower Detroit Pistons on Friday before a road game in Cleveland on Sunday.
Boston, meanwhile, is 50-31 in a final regular season road game on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Celtics seem to have returned to a winning position at the Box Fischer Forum after trailing 13 points towards the end of the first half, with a five-point lead at 114-109 in the middle of the fourth quarter.
But with Marcus Smart’s driving lay-up leading Boston to 121-118 with just two minutes left, Speed returns to Milwaukee.
Bobby Portis equalized a three-pointer score from 27 feet and then Giannis Antetocounpo led the free throw box to 122-121.
A Jrue Holiday lay-up turned it into a 124-121 Milwaukee and then a wide-open missed lay-up from Boston’s Daniel Thesis allowed Antetokunumpo to add another free throw for a 125-121 lead.
Steal a George Hill and seal the fate of the Celtics at layup 127-121.
Antetocounpo and Holiday led the box scorers with 29 points and Chris Middleton added 22 points.
Smart led the Boston scorers with 29 points.
“It was a tough game, but the boys found a way to win another intimate game, so there are some positive aspects to it,” said Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer.
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