Underdog Hawks strike again after 30-point comeback, drop Celtics on buzzer-beater
Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 44 points, including the game-winning basket with 0.1 seconds remaining in overtime, to give the Atlanta Hawks a 123-122 win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Thursday (Friday, March 28, Manila time).
The Celtics took a 122-121 lead with 6.2 seconds left on Jaylen Brown’s jumper. After a timeout, the Hawks got the ball to Murray, who drove to the top of the key and shot the winning jumper over Jrue Holiday.
The win gives the Hawks a four-game winning streak and two wins over the league-leading Celtics this week. The win pulled Atlanta to within one game of No. 9 Chicago in the race for the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Murray took a career-high 44 shots, making 18, and had seven rebounds and seven assists in almost 47 minutes.
Atlanta (34-39) also got 24 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic and 21 points and 13 rebounds from De’Andre Hunter. Clint Capela added 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Boston (57-16) was led by Tatum with 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Derrick White added 22 points and seven rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis scored 20 and Brown added 18.
The win gave Atlanta a split in the four-game season series with Boston.
The Hawks tied the game at 112-112 with 27.2 seconds remaining in regulation on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic. Boston had a chance to win, but Tatum’s long 3-pointer missed.
Unlike Monday’s game, when Boston had a 30-point lead in the first half, the rematch was close. There were 12 lead changes and six ties in the high-energy half, which Boston led 63-59 at intermission. Boston shot 12 free throws in the first half, making 11, while Atlanta missed its only free throw.
Neither team led by more than five points in the third quarter and the margin was no larger than three over the final 7 1/2 minutes and Boston led 90-89 entering the fourth quarter.
The Hawks conclude their five-game homestand on Saturday against Milwaukee. The Celtics make the fifth stop of their six-game road trip on Saturday at New Orleans. – Rappler.com