Aron Baynes the lone Aussie NBA playoff victor

Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker were bystanders as Boston and Milwaukee battled in an overtime NBA playoffs thriller.

Australian Joe Ingles of the Utah Jazz defends against Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the NBA Western Conference playoffs

Boomers stars Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker were bystanders as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks battled in an overtime NBA Playoffs thriller involving buzzer beating three-pointers.

Joe Ingles and Dante Exum both scored in double figures for the Utah Jazz but they could not prevent a road loss at Oklahoma City Thunder. The Celtics claimed a 113-107 victory over the Bucks in game one of their eastern conference first-round series this morning at a packed TD Garden. Boston appeared to have the game won when point guard Terry Rozier shook off a defender and sank a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in regulation. The Bucks’ Kris Middleton, well behind the three-point line and 11 metres from the basket, however fired up a Hail Mary three-pointer to tie the score 99-99 and send it into overtime.

The Celtics’ title hopes were rocked by season-ending injuries to All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but the team has rallied.

Five players scored in double figures against the Bucks.

“That’s what we have been about all year,” Celtics forward Al Horford, top-scoring for his team with 24 points, said.

“We’ve been down a lot with injuries and we have always found a way.”

Baynes started for the Celtics, but spent most of the game on the bench after drawing two early fouls, missing all four field goal attempts and was burned around the basket by the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Dellavedova, after missing more than two months with an ankle sprain, and Maker did not step foot on the court.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton led the Bucks with 35 and 31 points respectively. Game two is in Boston on Wednesday (AEST) before Milwaukee host the next two games.

Oklahoma City defeated Utah in game one of their western conference series with the Jazz’s Australian duo Ingles and Exum having mixed games. The Thunder won 116-108 on the back of Paul George’s 36 points and Russell Westbrook’s 29 and 13 rebounds.

Jazz Rookie of the Year candidate Donovan Mitchell had 27 points and 10 rebounds but appeared to hurt his left foot.

Exum made spectacular plays slashing to the basket for 10 points but had three costly turnovers, while Ingles’ 13 points, including three three-pointers from five attempts, was not enough to keep up with the Thunder.

Oklahoma City host game two on Thursday (AEST) before the series moves to Utah for games three and four.

AAP