Milwaukee @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 26, 2017 ) Boston 96, Milwaukee 89

The Boston Celtics will try to clinch a winning homestand and avenge their first loss at TD Garden this season when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. After dropping the opener of their five-game stay in Boston, the Celtics averaged 112 points in consecutive wins over Philadelphia and Phoenix.

Al Horford was one of six Boston players in double figures in Saturday's 116-111 triumph over the Suns and he handed out a career-high 11 assists as Boston improved to 10-2 at home. "I'm just trying to play through our offense, make the right plays and try to push the pace," Horford told reporters. "We wanted to make sure we had some good ball movement. We want to continue to get better as a group moving the ball, and I think today we took a big step in that direction." The Celtics were 0-1 at home following a 108-100 loss to the Bucks on Oct. 18, and Milwaukee returns to Boston riding an 8-3 surge. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 37 points and 13 rebounds in the earlier win at TD Garden and 28 and 10 in a home loss to the Celtics eight days later, posted his 10th double-double in Saturday's 109-104 win over Sacramento.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBCSN Boston

ABOUT THE BUCKS (12-9): Antetokounmpo has been a force all season, but Khris Middleton's ability to provide consistent support has allowed Milwaukee - which entered Sunday ranked fourth in the NBA in shooting (48 percent) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67) - to become a much more efficient offense. Middleton is shooting 59 percent from the floor and 9-for-16 from long range during the three-game winning streak, and the Texas A&M product is averaging 25.5 points over the last two contests as he and his teammates continue to meld with new point guard Eric Bledsoe. "It's great. We still got a long way to go," Middleton said after the Bucks improved to 8-3 since installing Bledsoe in the starting lineup. "It's still only been 11 games. You never get to know a player or a team until a full season. We still have a lot to learn a lot about one another."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (20-4): Kyrie Irving led Boston with 19 points and again was clutch down the stretch versus Phoenix, but rookie Jayson Tatum is getting nearly as many touches with the game on the line. "Especially for a rookie coming in, that's been special," guard Jaylen Brown told ESPN.com. "I feel like him and Kyrie, they kinda get going in the fourth quarter. We need those plays at the end. They're tough shot-makers and have the ability to score like the top percentile of the league so, when they get going, it's hard to stop them." Tatum's late two-handed slam helped the Celtics hold off a Suns rally and finished a 15-point effort for the 19-year-old Tatum, who has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Horford had 27 points and nine rebounds in the 96-89 win at Milwaukee on Oct. 26

2. Bledsoe is averaging 22.6 points on 52 percent shooting over the last five games.

3. Antetokounmpo is second in the NBA in scoring (29.4), ninth in steals (1.8) and 15th in field-goal percentage (54.6) entering Sunday.

PREDICTION: Celtics 108, Bucks 104