Joe Mazzulla cut the question off. Before Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, a question that described the Celtics’ double-digit game lead atop the Eastern Conference as “comfortable.”

“No such thing as comfortable in the NBA,” Mazzulla interrupted.

Then, the on-court version of that played out.

The Celtics may have gotten, in fact, too comfortable on Wednesday night. They built a lead of 21 over the Bucks, who didn’t have Giannis Antetekounmpo. The Celtics, though they have boasted a consistent mindset all season, seemed to believe they could coast to the finish line. But these Bucks, even after their inconsistencies this season,, have proven more formidable recently.

Without Antetokounmpo on the floor, it looked like the Celtics had missed a chance to extract some lessons for a potential playoff matchup. But even so, the Celtics ultimately gathered a valuable test of adversity. Their comfortable lead was suddenly cut to one possession in the final minutes, but the Celtics held on for a 122-119 win over the Bucks.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and Derrick White added 23 points as the Celtics survived for their seventh consecutive win, and pushed their lead atop the Eastern Conference to 11 games with 15 to go. Behind a huge bench performance from Payton Pritchard and methodical play, the C’s were in control for most of the night before their offense suddenly went missing in the fourth quarter.

And suddenly, they had to hold on for a push from Damian Lillard, Bobby Portis and the Bucks. Portis scored eight consecutive points – sandwiched around two free throw misses from Jaylen Brown – to cut the Celtics’ lead to three with 2:56 to play, creating some nailbiting moments in TD Garden. But the Celtics responded with poise, a 6-2 run finished by a Kristaps Porzingis putback to reclaim control.

Lillard replied with a step-back 3-pointer before Portis’ floater cut it back to two with 33 seconds left. But Brown was fouled on the ensuing play and he grabbed some redemption, drilling both of his free throws to ultimately put the win on ice.