Tatum, Horford help Celtics tie series with Bucks

Al Horford and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points apiece and led the Boston Celtics’ fourth-quarter comeback in a 116-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night that tied their Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

The two teams have alternated victories in this best-of-seven series, which continues Wednesday with Game 5 in Boston.

Horford scored 16 points and Tatum 12 in the fourth quarter alone to help the Celtics outscore the defending NBA champion Bucks 43-28 in the final period.

Horford’s 30 points were a career playoff high for the 35-year-old veteran. Tatum scored eight points and Horford had six during a 14-2 run that put the Celtics ahead for good and gave them a 106-96 advantage with 3:33 left. The Bucks wouldn’t cut the margin below six the rest of the way.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 18 rebounds and five assists for the Bucks. Tatum had 13 rebounds and five assists while bouncing back from a poor Game 3, when he had 10 points and shot 4 for 19. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 18 points for the Celtics.

 The Celtics were playing without post player Robert Williams because of soreness in his surgically repaired left knee. The Bucks played a seventh straight game without three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Celtics coach Ime Udoka expressed optimism before Tuesday’s game that Williams would be available for Game 4. The Bucks haven’t given an indication on when Middleton might return.

Report: Jokic to repeat as MVP

Nikola Jokic put up numbers never seen before in NBA history.

Not from Wilt. Not from Kareem. Not from “Air Jordan.” Not from LeBron.

With a historic season, the Denver Nuggets big man earned his second straight Most Valuable Player Award, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The NBA was preparing to make the announcement in the coming days, likely this week, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the voting results have not been announced.

The other finalists — who will finish second and third in some order — were Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The 7-foot Jokic became the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. And that sort of dominance by the player nicknamed “Joker” helped convince voters that he should be the 13th player of the NBA’s exclusive MVP back-to-back club.

Suns’ Williams COY

Monty Williams has won NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Phoenix Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins during the regular season. The Suns were the NBA’s best team by far during the regular season, finishing with eight more wins than any other team. Williams joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D’Antoni (2004-05) as coaches who have won the award with the Suns. The runner-up to the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau last season, Williams received 81 of 100 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sports writers and broadcasters, finishing with 458 points.

Nets’ Curry has surgery

Nets guard Seth Curry had arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall. The Nets said the procedure was done at the Hospital for Special Surgery and was successful. Curry, who was acquired in the February trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, played in 19 games and averaged 14.9 points.

Kerr tests positive

Coach Steve Kerr tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening and was replaced by associate head coach Mike Brown on the bench for Golden State in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Memphis Grizzlies. Golden State led the series 2-1.

Kerr, 56, had been regularly wearing a mask at team headquarters in recent days. Golden State said Kerr received his result approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes before tipoff.  — AP