C’s reminded of MVP’s skills in loss to Bucks

The Celtics were reintroduced to the brilliance of Giannis Antetokounmpo in their first game in more than four months.

The NBA’s reigning most valuable player — and a strong candidate to repeat this season — led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 119-112 victory Friday night over the Celtics, who had been idle since March 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Antetokounmpo was also in the middle of two controversial plays that went his way in crunch time and helped [...]

The Celtics were reintroduced to the brilliance of Giannis Antetokounmpo in their first game in more than four months.

The NBA’s reigning most valuable player — and a strong candidate to repeat this season — led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 119-112 victory Friday night over the Celtics, who had been idle since March 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Antetokounmpo was also in the middle of two controversial plays that went his way in crunch time and helped the Bucks get past the Celtics at Disney World.

The first occurred with 2:30 remaining and the Bucks holding a 107-105 advantage. Jaylen Brown was making a move for the Celtics with Daniel Theis setting a screen on Antetokounmpo, who hit Theis in the stomach.

No foul was called, but as Theis grimaced, the game was stopped and the referees went to the replay to see if a "hostile act’’ had been committed. After a review, it was determined that there was no hostile act and play resumed without a foul.

A foul on Antetokounmpo would have been his sixth one and left the Bucks without a player who would finish with 36 points on 14 for 20 shooting, 15 rebounds and seven assists.

"They just said he didn’t get hit in the stomach,’’ was the explanation coach Brad Stevens said he received. "They said they could not call a personal foul. When you go to the review to see if it’s a hostile act, I guess you can’t call a personal foul. That’s what they told me, so we moved on.’’

Interviewed by a pool reporter after the game, the officials’ crew chief, James Capers, said that a review for a hostile act does not allow a foul to be called, so the replay was viewed to see if there was a hostile act involved.

"Had I seen a foul [originally] and the contact been more than incidental, then there would have been a foul on the play, but that did not occur,’’ Capers said.

As to why it was not a hostile act, Capers said, "It was not in the groin area and therefore there was no illegal act on the play.’’

After the Celtics had tied the game at 107, Antetokounmpo was driving to the basket with 1:28 remaining when Marcus Smart stepped in front of him in the lane.

Antetokounmpo’s basket was waved off and he was called for his sixth foul, but another video review was held.

The replay officials determined that Smart had not been outside the restricted area in the lane and the foul went on him. Antetokounmpo converted a three-point play for a 110-107 lead and the Bucks were on their way to the win.

"The excuse was I was late on the charge,’’ Smart said in a videoconference call. "They said the replay center said that I was late and it was a block.

"Quite frankly, I think we all know what that was about — Giannis’ sixth foul, and they didn’t want to get him out. Let’s just call that a spade a spade and that’s just what it is.’’

Antetokounmpo said in his conference call that he talked to Smart after the game.

"I respect him as a player. I think he’s a great player,’’ Antetokounmpo said. "One thing I respect about him is that he’s the first guy on the floor. He trusts his teammates. He plays hard. He guards the best player. So that’s what I told him at the end of the game.

"I said, ‘I respect you. I respect that you play hard and I just play hard.’ ’’

The Celtics, who play Sunday afternoon against the Portland Trail Blazers, had put themselves in a position to win after struggling in the first half.

They were down, 17-2, less than four minutes into the game and faced a 14-point deficit in the second quarter. But the play of Smart, Gordon Hayward, Brown, Kemba Walker, Theis and Brad Wanamaker rallied the Celtics and put them in front.

The Celtics nearly beat the team with the best record in the NBA with Jayson Tatum having a dreadful performance. He scored only five points and was 2 for 18 with one of his makes occurring when the Bucks inadvertently tipped in a missed Celtics’ shot in the first quarter.

There was an encouraging sign from Walker, who has been brought along slowly after having pain in his left knee in June and July.

Walker is being held to 20 minutes or less for the time being and scored 16 points in 19 minutes. He moved without any problems and should be able to play regular minutes once the playoffs begin two weeks from Monday.

Walker came out in the third quarter after hitting 19 minutes and wanted to go back in with the game up for grabs in the fourth quarter.

"I knew I wasn’t going back in,’’ Walker said. "It was set.’’

"I think a lot of good things happened,’’ Hayward said of the opener in Florida. "We fought back. We clawed. We did a lot of good things without playing our best basketball.’’

jfenton@enterprisenews.com

On Twitter at @JFenton_ent.