MILWAUKEE — The Boston Celtics had waited for weeks to get Marcus Smart back on the floor after missing the last six weeks with a thumb injury.

Smart finally returned Tuesday night and it’s not a coincidence that the Celtics are now just one victory away from the second round and can lock it up Thursday night when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at the Bradley Center

Smart only scored nine points in 25 minutes of work but was a force on the defensive end Zack Martin Cowboys Jersey , helping hold the Bucks to a series-low 36 percent shooting percentage.

“It means a lot for our team,” Celtics forward Al Horford said of Smart’s return. “I think I said it earlier in the year that he was kind of like the soul of our team. Just everything that he brings — his toughness, unselfishness, just a hard-nosed player, and we fed off his energy (in Game 5).”

To punch their ticket to the next round, the Celtics will need more of the same defensive effort — especially against all-star Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo finished an assist short of a triple-double but scored a series-low 16 points while attempting just 10 shots in the Bucks’ 92-87 loss after averaging 27.8 points on 17.8 shot attempts through the first four games of the series.

Antetokounmpo acknowledged the additional pressure provided by Smart and rookie Semi Ojeleye, who Boston coach Brad Stevens moved into the starting lineup to help contain Antetokounmpo, but he put the blame on himself for the lack of production.

“I feel like the shots I had, the moments in the game that they were quality shots, so I took them,” Antetokounmpo said. “Of course John Ross Youth Jersey , in Game 6 I got to come out being more aggressive.

Interim Bucks coach Joe Prunty said his team needs a better all-around effort if it wants to keep its season alive for another day.

“It’s not just one guy, it’s everyone we call on,” Prunty said. “We need them to come in and play solid defense, we need guys to come in and knock down shots.”

Smart’s presence alone will make that difficult and it also adds another layer to what has already been a physical series.

Bucks point guard Matthew Dellavedova expects more of the same when the teams meet again Thursday night.

“The sixth time playing the same team … it’s going to get physical and a little bit chippy,” he said. “That’s the same case whether you’re playing board games with your family. You keep playing with the same people over and over it’s going to get chippy.”

A loss Thursday night would not only end the Bucks’ season, but also mark the final game played at the Bradley Center, their home since 1988. The team is moving into a new facility located right next door next season.

Milwaukee, though, is hoping to ride the same home-court advantage it enjoyed while winning Games 3 and 4 and force a Game 7 for the first time since 2010.

“We’ve been here before,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve just got to play hard, be disciplined Denzel Ward Jersey , move the ball, rebound the ball and we’re playing at home. We’ve got to feed off the energy, make shots and hopefully we can get a win.”

Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia maintained his innocence and his new team said it supported him after a 1996 sexual assault allegation resurfaced.

The Detroit News reported that Patricia and a friend of his were indicted 22 years ago by a Texas grand jury, on one count each of aggravated sexual assault for an alleged incident involving a woman on South Padre Island. The accuser did not testify and the case was dismissed 10 months later.

The Lions hired Patricia after last season to replace Jim Caldwell as coach. He had previously been an assistant with the New England Patriots.

The Lions said a ”standard pre-employment background check” did not turn up the incident. But the team said it was standing by Patricia.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Philadelphia Eagles have signed running back Matt Jones to a two-year contract and also agreed to terms on four-year deals with all five of their draft picks.

Jones was a third-round pick by the Washington Redskins in 2015. He had 950 yards rushing and six touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry in two seasons with the Redskins. He played for the Colts in 2017 and only carried five times. After Indianapolis selected two running backs in the draft, Jones was cut on May 1.

Jones will get a chance to earn a roster spot with the Super Bowl champions in a crowded backfield that includes Jay Ajayi, veteran Darren Sproles and Corey Clement.

NBA

BOSTON (AP) – Jayson Tatum caught a pass underneath the basket, shook off a hit and went up for the go-ahead layup with 23 seconds left and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-112 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum scored 25 points, Jaylen Brown had 24 and Terry Rozier 17, sinking a pair of free throws after forcing Joel Embiid’s turnover in the final seconds. Al Horford added 15 points and eight rebounds for Boston, which will play Cleveland for the second straight year for a spot in the NBA finals.

Game 1 is Sunday in Boston.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

George is expected to returning to normal offseason activities in six to eight weeks. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds Zack Martin Jersey Elite , 3.3 assists, 2.04 steals and 36.6 minutes in 79 games this season, his first with the Thunder.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The Sacramento Kings have promoted Peja Stojakovic to assistant general manager.

General manager Vlade Divac announced the move to put Stojakovic in a role where he will assist in management of player development, talent evaluation and oversight of the team’s G League affiliate.

Stojakovic spent the past three seasons as an executive with the Kings. He most recently served as vice president of basketball and team development.

Stojakovic was an All-Star three times in seven-plus seasons as a player in Sacramento. He also played for Indiana, New Orleans, Toronto and Dallas in his 13-year career. He was a reserve on the Mavericks‘ championship team in 2011.

NEW YORK (AP) – The Toronto Raptors‘ Dwane Casey was the NBA’s best coach this season, according to his fellow NBA coaches.

Casey was announced as the coach-of-the-year selection by the National Basketball Coaches Association. The award, named for longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on only by the league’s head coaches.

A media panel voted separately for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award, which will be announced June 25.

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) – Brett Gardner capped a slump-busting performance with a go-ahead Cheap Breeland Speaks Jersey , two-run triple off Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning, Aaron Judge followed with a homer and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-6 for their 17th victory in 18 games.

Kimbrel entered with two on and one out to face Gardner seeking the first five-out save of his career. Gardner drilled a full-count pitch into left-center, well over the head of center fielder Mookie Betts, who was playing shallow. Neil Walker scored easily from third and rookie Gleyber Torres raced from first and slid past a lunging tag attempted by catcher Christian Vazquez.

Judge followed with his ninth homer of the season. He had three hits and three RBIs as New York won its eighth straight overall and 11th in a row at home.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his ninth save as New York (26-10) broke a tie with Boston for first place in the AL East and has sole possession of the best record in the majors for the first time since July 27, 2012.

HOCKEY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Alex Krushelnyski scored 6:48 into the fifth overtime period and Alex Lyon made 94 saves to lead the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to a 2-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers in the longest game in the American Hockey League’s 82-year history.

The Phantoms, the top affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, took a 3-1 series lead in the Atlantic Division finals by outlasting the Carolina Hurricanes’ farm team in a game that began shortly after 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday night and ended at 1:09 a.m. after more than seven periods and 146 minutes and 48 seconds of play.

The seemingly endless game surpassed the Philadelphia Phantoms’ 3-2 win over the Albany River Rats that took 142:58 to decide in 2008.

.