BOSTON, Feb. 27 (Ticker) -- Ray Allen scored five of his 22 points in the final four minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks spoiled the Boston Celtics' return home with a 95-92 victory.

Allen's jumper gave Milwaukee a 91-86 lead with 1:54 remaining and the Bucks withstood 3-pointers by Antoine Walker and Erick Strickland in the final 90 seconds to improve to 3-0 against the Celtics this season.

"This is an important game for us," Milwaukee coach George Karl said. "I mean, we're at the stage in the season that having the tiebreaker against the Celtics is, could be home court, and that's what wins in the playoffs." After Strickland's 3-pointer pulled Boston within 93-92 with 6.1 seconds left, Sam Cassell made a pair from the line with 5.5 seconds to go.

The Celtics had a chance to tie, but a 3-pointer by Walker, who scored 30 points, caromed off the front of the rim at the buzzer.

NBA TV highlights from Bucks-Celtics: 56k | 300k Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half to help the Celtics seize control early before falling late. Noren Trotman NBAE/Getty Images

"I think we've played them well," Walker said. "We just got to find a way to play four good quarters of basketball, and we just haven't done that against them this year." Cassell scored 10 of his 26 points in the third quarter, when the Bucks used a 17-4 spurt to turn a three-point halftime deficit into a 63-53 lead with 7:42 left.

Milwaukee made eight of its nine first shots in the period and shot 58 percent (10-of-18) from the field in the third quarter.

"It (the run) was big because they started playing fronm behind and they were trying to figure out how they were going to come from behind," Allen said. "They did, but we felt we still had control of the game because we had things going our way." The Celtics, making their first home appearance since February 6, tied the contest, 69-69, entering the final period, but the Bucks took control down the stretch.

Paul Pierce added 21 for the Celtics, who have lost three in a row for the first time since January 29-February 1. Coming off a 3-4 record on a season-high seven-game road this was not how Boston envisioned opening a six-game homestand.

"You're going to have low points of the season and our situation is a low point," Walker said. "Every team goes through it. The teams that bounce back and turn it around and get on winning streaks are the teams that make it into the playoffs and do well. Hopefully, we can turn it around on Friday night (against Charlotte)." The "Big Three" combined for 70 points for the Bucks as Glenn Robinson also contributed 22.

"When all three of us score like that and we play solid defense, we're tough to beat, but I still would like to see more balance," Robinson said.

The Celtics took a 74-73 lead on Rodney Rogers' 3-pointer with 9:06 left, but Milwaukee scored five straight points on Ervin Johnson's layup and Michael Redd's 3-pointer and never trailed thereafter.

"Definitely a game that you'd like to have and definitely a game we needed," Pierce said. "Right now, we feel a sense of urgency. We just need to get a win." Happy to be home after three weeks on the road, the Celtics scored the game's first 11 points. But the Bucks quickly erased the deficit and only trailed, 27-26, after the first period. Allen was not worried.

"Especially playing against us," he said. "I attribute their quick start to being off for three days and being excited to get back home." Boston squandered double-figure leads in the final two games of its road trip, losing in Dallas and Houston. The Celtics jumped to a 29-9 lead against the Rockets before Houston roared back for a 98-92 victory.