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 remaining second of time beyond regulation to provide the Hawks a 123-122 victory over the Celtics on Thursday – their second win towards the group with the most effective report within the NBA this week.
On Monday night time, Atlanta accomplished the most important comeback in Hawks historical past when it got here again from 30 factors all the way down to stun Boston, which has already locked up the No. 1 seed within the Japanese Convention.
After a intently 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 troublesome contested midrange shot to place Boston up by one with simply over six seconds to go.
Murray then took issues into his personal fingers, isolating towards lauded defender Jrue Vacation and rising as much as shoot the game-winning discipline purpose, which discovered the underside of the bucket with 0.1 seconds left on the clock.
“We competed towards the most effective group within the NBA,” Murray mentioned postgame. “My guys confirmed up, all of us confirmed up. No excuses on a back-to-back … we have been prepared to come back and play and we received an awesome win.”
Murray caught hearth in OT, scoring the entire 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 together with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Regardless of the scoring outburst, it was not essentially the most environment friendly taking pictures night time for the 27-year-old, making 18 of his whopping 44 discipline purpose makes an attempt – together with 19 pictures from deep. Murray was not too happy along 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 pictures, however I do know Kobe (Bryant) could be pleased with me.”
Bogdan Bogdanović chipped in with 24 factors whereas Monday’s hero De’Andre Hunter added 21 factors and 13 rebounds. A have a look at Atlanta’s damage listing 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 damage points, the Hawks are winners of 4 straight video games and have hit a scorching streak at simply the appropriate time because the common season winds down and postseason anticipation builds.
An attention-grabbing facet of the group’s two victories over Boston is that this could possibly be a preview of a first-round matchup within the playoffs.
The Hawks are at present 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 seemingly come by 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 high 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 group’s loss all the way down to the Hawks’ skill to seize offensive rebounds.
“That’s the sport proper there,” he mentioned postgame. “They did an awesome job of crashing… there’s a couple 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 assumed we performed a hell of a sport outdoors of that element.”
MVP candidate Jayson Tatum led the best way 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.