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Celtics, Bucks set to continue battle in Game 5

The NBA's second round playoff series will return to TD Garden, where Boston split the first two tests from the reigning champs.

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Based on how even the teams are, and how tight the series was always expected to be, there was little doubt that the second-round playoff series between the Celtics and Bucks would eventually come back to Boston for Game 5. And with Boston’s rebound victory in Game 2, that is now a certainty.

Led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics evened the best-of-seven by shooting the lights out early, then remaining steady enough — especially from 3-point land — over the second half to keep the Bucks at a comfortable distance for the duration of a 109-86 win that sent the series to Milwaukee tied at a game apiece. The teams will play at Fiserv Forum twice before the battle shifts back to its original site.

There’s a chance the Bucks could be fortified by Game 5, with All-Star forward Khris Middleton possibly targeting that contest for his return from injury after missing the first four games. That would increase the difficulty level for a Celtics team that has prided itself on its defense all season, and carried that into the early part of its series against the Bucks and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Then again, the Celtics won Game 2 without NBA defensive player of the year Marcus Smart, and have proven their mettle as legitimate contenders over the past three months. The reigning champs are certainly a worthy foe, and any remaining games at the Garden — whether it’s just Game 5, or also Game 7 — will be electric, must-see events.