Atlanta Hawks beat NBA-leading Boston Celtics for the second time in four days after last-second OT game-winner

CNN
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It seems that the Atlanta Hawks have the Boston Celtics’ quantity.

Atlanta guard Dejounte Murray knocked down a game-winning jumpshot within the ultimate second of extra time to present the Hawks a 123-122 victory over the Celtics on Thursday – their second win in opposition to the crew with the most effective document within the NBA this week.

On Monday night time, Atlanta accomplished the largest comeback in Hawks historical past when it got here again from 30 factors right down to stun Boston, which has already locked up the No. 1 seed within the Japanese Convention.

After a carefully contested battle that required OT to separate the 2 sides, the Celtics thought they’d the sport received when All-Star wing Jaylen Brown drilled a tricky contested midrange shot to place Boston up by one with simply over six seconds to go.

Murray then took issues into his personal arms, isolating in opposition to lauded defender Jrue Vacation and rising as much as shoot the game-winning field goal, which discovered the underside of the bucket with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.

“We competed in opposition to the most effective crew within the NBA,” Murray mentioned postgame. “My guys confirmed up, all of us confirmed up. No excuses on a back-to-back … we had been prepared to return and play and we bought an ideal win.”

Murray caught fireplace in OT, scoring all the Hawks’ 11 factors within the further interval to cap off a landmark night time the place he dropped a career-high 44 factors to go along with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

Regardless of the scoring outburst, it was not probably the most environment friendly capturing night time for the 27-year-old, making 18 of his whopping 44 subject aim makes an attempt – together with 19 photographs from deep. Murray was not too happy together with his efficiency after the sport however hoped that his persistence on the offensive finish made an NBA legend proud.

“I nonetheless really feel like I performed terrible,” he mentioned. “I don’t wanna take that many photographs, however I do know Kobe (Bryant) could be happy with me.”

Bogdan Bogdanović chipped in with 24 factors whereas Monday’s hero De’Andre Hunter added 21 factors and 13 rebounds. A take a look at Atlanta’s harm checklist makes this win all of the extra spectacular – celebrity level guard Trae Younger has not performed since late February, whereas Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey all stay absent from the lineup.

Regardless of the harm points, the Hawks are winners of 4 straight video games and have hit a scorching streak at simply the suitable time because the common season winds down and postseason anticipation builds.

An attention-grabbing facet of the crew’s two victories over Boston is that this may very well be a preview of a first-round matchup within the playoffs.

The Hawks are presently 34-39 and occupy the tenth seed within the East which might give them a spot within the Play-In match. Barring a late regular-season surge, they should probably come by means of two win-or-go-home video games to earn a real postseason berth, but when they’re profitable, they may tackle the NBA-leading Celtics in spherical one.

Whereas the Celtics are in no hazard of dropping floor on the prime of the East after locking up the No. 1 spot, it was one other disappointing loss for Boston, squandering its likelihood at redemption after Monday’s embarrassing collapse.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla put his crew’s loss right down to the Hawks’ potential to seize offensive rebounds.

“That’s the sport proper there,” he mentioned postgame. “They did an ideal job of crashing… there’s a number of [rebounding situations] that we will get higher at, however that to me is the sport proper there: offensive rebounds and second-chance factors. I believed we performed a hell of a recreation exterior of that element.”

MVP candidate Jayson Tatum led the way in which for Boston, posting 31 factors, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. All 5 Celtics starters scored in double figures, however it wasn’t sufficient on the night time.

The Celtics drop to 57-16 on the season and can subsequent go to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. The Hawks are again in motion the identical night time, internet hosting the Milwaukee Bucks.