The Celtics escape another early deficit and defeat the Bucks

Tatum finished with 31 points, including 13 for 15 from the free throw line, while Payton Pritchard added 18 points. Jrue Holiday, whose defense was outstanding in the second half, added 15 points. Jaylen Brown returned to the lineup after a four-game absence and made a statement by completely checking out Damian Lillard in the second half.

Antetokounmpo finished with 43 points but didn’t have much help. Lillard scored 14 points on 4-for-15 shooting. Bobby Portis scored 15 points for Milwaukee, which fell to 2-8 and continued its downward spiral under former Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

After looking lethargic at times in the first half, the Celtics were at their best in the third quarter, starting with a 12-0 run and taking a 70-69 lead after a three-pointer from Al Horford. The Celtics were more committed defensively, especially against Antetokounmpo.

This time he saw a number of defensive players, including Jrue Holiday and Neemias Queta, making his navigation to the basket difficult. The good news for the Celtics is that Antetokounmpo’s compliments died down after the first half, including Lillard missing seven of his first eight 3-point attempts.

Jayson Tatum shocked the Celtics when he fell to the ground following a 3-point attempt. Antetokounmpo undercut Tatum on the release, resulting in a left ankle roll. Tatum slowly walked back to the bench but stayed in the game.

The Celtics aren’t helping themselves with their lackadaisical starts, and that happened again Sunday when the Bucks hit four 3-pointers to take a 16-2 lead. It was the second game in a row where Boston was down 16-2, but they were able to come back and win again.

They never fully recovered in the first half Sunday, chasing the Bucks, who had beaten only undermanned Philadelphia and the league’s worst team, Utah, in their two wins. They played with a goal on Sunday, especially Antetokounmpo, who attacked the rim at will and also made his first three-pointer of the season.

When Antetokounmpo’s midrange and 3-pointer falls, he’s impossible to defend and the Celtics couldn’t stop him in the first half. He scored 27 points in 19 minutes on 12-for-16 shooting. He ended the second period with a curling layup to give Milwaukee a 69-58 lead.

Offensively, the Celtics relied on three points and scored 29 points in the first half. The only Celtic to be effective from distance was Pritchard, who continued his great start with five three-pointers and 17 points in the first half.

Brown looked aggressive in his return, scoring 11 points in his 17 minutes. Tatum was unusually unaggressive, taking only seven shots in 19 minutes despite only covering himself. In one sequence, he scored on a 6-foot-3 Lillard and settled for a reverse jumper that missed the target.

The Celtics shot just 41.3 percent in the first half, were unable to make shots at the rim (8 for 17 on two-pointers) and the starting lineup was 5 for 17 from the 3-point line. After trailing by as many as 17, the Celtics were able to cut the deficit to 11 at halftime.

Milwaukee hit 58.1 percent of its shots in the first half, including a one-legged 3-pointer from Lillard that beat the shot clock in the second quarter after the Celtics played strong defense on two possessions. It was a testament to the lack of luck Boston experienced in the first half.

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.