giannis antetokounmpo stats took center stage Monday night as Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a right calf strain but watched the Milwaukee Bucks get overwhelmed by the Boston Celtics, 108-81. The game was played at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Mar. 2, 2026, and Antetokounmpo finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. Boston’s depth and early runs turned the night into a blowout, even with Jaylen Brown out due to illness and Neemias Queta rested.
Blowout begins early at Fiserv Forum
Boston seized control with a 24-5 run that began late in the first quarter, flipping a 15-14 Milwaukee edge into a 38-20 Celtics lead. The Celtics carried a 57-43 advantage into halftime after leading by as many as 22 in the first half.
Milwaukee briefly made it interesting early in the second half, cutting the margin to nine. Boston answered immediately with 15 straight points and never let the Bucks back into the game.
The loss marked Milwaukee’s third straight defeat, each by at least 23 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Stats: 19 points in first game since Jan. 23
In his first action since being injured on Jan. 23, Antetokounmpo posted 19 points and 11 rebounds while going 7-of-18 from the field. He was Milwaukee’s leading scorer in the loss, but Boston won Antetokounmpo’s minutes by 16 points and forced 11 misses on 18 attempts.
Milwaukee’s season split with and without its star also sharpened into focus: the Bucks are 15-16 with Antetokounmpo and 11-18 without him. The team went 8-7 during his absence leading into Monday night.
Boston’s bench and fill-ins deliver: Pritchard, Gonzalez, White
Payton Pritchard powered the Celtics with 25 points, while rookie Hugo González delivered career highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds in just his third start. Derrick White added 18 points as Boston extended its surge to three straight wins and seven victories in its last eight games.
Pritchard and White each handed out nine assists, and Boston got a notable contribution from Nikola Vucevic, who had 10 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in his first start since Boston acquired him from Chicago at the trade deadline.
Immediate reactions from the floor
Antetokounmpo described the feel of returning after a long absence: “Feels good, feel a little bit rusty… definitely disrupt[ed] my rhythm, but at the end of the day, I just try to take it day by day, game by game. I’m happy that I’m back. I’m just happy that I’m on the court, ” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks forward, speaking after the game.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to the team’s ability to win short-handed and highlighted the rookie’s assignment: “One of the strengths of the locker room has always been being able to win games when guys have been out… That’s just the DNA of the locker room. I thought Hugo was great tonight, taking on the challenge of guarding Giannis, ” said Joe Mazzulla, head coach of the Boston Celtics.
González emphasized the collective effort it took to defend Milwaukee’s star: “With those types of players, you can’t really guard them by one person. You got to take the matchup as a team, ” said Hugo González, Celtics rookie.
Quick context and what’s next
Boston entered the night without Jaylen Brown due to illness and rested Neemias Queta after his career-high 27-point game Sunday. Even so, the Celtics controlled the game after a brief early deficit and kept rolling.
For Milwaukee, the immediate focus turns to stabilizing after three straight lopsided losses, while monitoring Antetokounmpo’s progress as he works back from the calf strain. The Bucks’ next steps will be measured in results and availability, with giannis antetokounmpo stats now under the spotlight again as he tries to rebuild rhythm on the floor.
