The Celtics struggled to score in the second half and lost 116-101 to the Bucks on Thursday night in Milwaukee, snapping their five-game winning streak. Boston is now 15-10 this season. The Bucks, who had dropped 10 of their previous 12 games, improved to 11-15.

Boston started strong with a series of threes, but Milwaukee, still without Giannis Antetokounmpo, kept the game close and eventually took control.

After halftime, the Celtics’ offense stalled. Boston scored just 13 points in the third quarter and couldn’t recover, while the Bucks turned a tight game into a double-digit lead.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points on 10 of 17 shooting, even though he got into early foul trouble. Jordan Walsh stayed hot, chipping in with 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting, along with 8 rebounds and 3 steals.

For Milwaukee, Kyle Kuzma scored 31 points on 12 of 23 shooting. Bobby Portis added 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Porter Jr. recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists to help secure the upset.

The Celtics will be back home on Monday to play the Pistons (19-5) at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Here are four takeaways from the loss:

1. Second-Half Freeze Cripples Boston’s Offense:

What looked like another strong offensive night for Boston fell apart after halftime.

The Celtics missed their first 16 three-point attempts in the third quarter. Their shots just wouldn’t go in, and the Bucks took advantage.

Boston made only 12 of 47 shots in the second half, including just 3 of 27 from three-point range, which let Milwaukee take control.

Missed opportunities and Bucks’ fast breaks turned a close game into Boston’s roughest offensive half in weeks.

2. A Little Chatter Gives Milwaukee Extra Momentum:

Thursday’s game was intense, with plenty of trash talk on the court.

Kuzma started it by taunting Brown in the first half, and Portis added his own comments after making a jumper over Brown. Portis’s outburst earned him a technical foul, but it seemed to fire up the Bucks.

Milwaukee used that energy to take over in the second half, as both Portis and Kuzma took turns scoring against the Celtics.

Sometimes, having a trash talker or two on the roster can go a long way.

3. Jordan Walsh Continues His Breakout Stretch:

Even though the Celtics lost, Walsh gave us yet another reminder of the player he is growing into.

The young forward made an immediate impact, hitting his first eight shots and showing confidence throughout the game. He finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals, marking another strong performance in his best stretch as a pro.

While Boston had trouble scoring in other areas, Walsh’s steady improvement was a bright spot, and showed how important he has become in the starting lineup.

If he continue to stay hot from three (3 of 4 on Thursday) while shooting that shot at a higher volume, this dude has a chance to be truly special.

4. A Rare Lopsided Loss For An Otherwise Consistent Team:

The Celtics are usually competitive, which made Thursday’s loss unusual.

It was only their fourth double-digit defeat this season and their first since losing to Orlando on November 7.

Boston’s offense slowed down, the Bucks took over, and the score gap grew quickly.

Games like this happen during the season, but the Celtics will view it as a missed chance against a Milwaukee team missing its star player.

Still, Boston has won 10 of its last 13 games. One bad night doesn’t change their overall direction moving forward.

Those 10 wins, most of which against good-to-great competition, have shown us enough to feel really good about what this team is capable of moving forward.

Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.