Los Angeles: The Atlanta Hawks staged a comeback for the ages, overcoming a 30-point deficit to beat the Eastern Conference leaders Boston Celtics 120-118 on Monday.
Boston, which was confirmed Monday as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, appeared to be on its way to an emphatic victory after outscoring Atlanta 44-22 in the first quarter.
The Celtics jumped out to a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter before Atlanta woke up and started to chip away at Boston’s lead.
The Hawks kept the rally going in the second half, further closing the gap at 34-22 in the third quarter before using that momentum in the fourth quarter to complete the dramatic victory.
De’Andre Hunter led the scoring for the Hawks with 24 points, including a game-clinching 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining that gave Atlanta a four-point cushion and effectively made the game safe.
Hunter was backed by 22 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic, while Dejounte Murray finished with 19 points, 15 assists and five rebounds.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder credited the relentless support of the Atlanta home crowd that helped propel his team to a remarkable victory.
“Tonight, the way we started the game and the way Boston started, their energy really got us going,” Snyder told Atlanta fans.
“Whenever you’re down like that, you have to have something out of the ordinary to get back into the game.
“And when you have a group of people who you know are behind you through thick or thin, rain or shine — and soon there was a lot of rain — they were a big part of helping make the sun come out tonight.”
Atlanta improved to 32-39 and remains in 10th place in the East, en route to a play-in spot.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said his team paid the price for not putting the game away, adding that Atlanta’s physical problems caused his team in the second half.
“It’s a good lesson,” Mazzulla said. “Credit to them for fighting back.
“I thought their physicality — they were extremely physical once the ball got over half court. I thought it messed up our offense and made us work for everything.”
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Celtics star Jayson Tatum had no excuses after the loss.
“It’s tough, you’re not going to win every game you play,” Tatum said. “We were up a lot, but we didn’t do the things we needed to do to win.
“The key is not to overreact. Take it on the chin and get ready for (the next game).”
Elsewhere, Donte DiVincenzo had a three-point shooting performance and finished with a career-best 40 points as the New York Knicks continued their postseason with a 124-99 loss against the league-worst Detroit Pistons.
DiVincenzo went 11-of-20 from beyond the arc, just three shy of Klay Thompson’s single-game record of 14 in 2018.
Jalen Brunson added 28 points as the Knicks improved to 43-28 to remain fourth in the East.
In San Antonio, Phoenix Suns Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 65 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Spurs from pulling off a 104-102 upset win.
Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell each finished with 26 points as Western Conference basement club San Antonio earned just its 16th win of the season.
At the opposite end of the Western Conference, first-place Denver defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-103 to move closer to the No. 1 seed.
The defending NBA champions won easily, Nikola Jokic once again leading the way with 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
The Nuggets lead the Western Conference with a 51-21 record, one win ahead of second-place Oklahoma (49-21).
In Salt Lake City, Luka Doncic had his 19th triple-double of the season and finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 115-105.
