NBA Roundup: Atlanta Hawks Stage Epic Comeback to Beat Boston Celtics 120-118

Since the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks on December 6, 2002, no team has beaten the club with the best record in the NBA after falling down by thirty points.

In addition, Monday’s victory was the Hawks’ biggest comeback victory since the play-by-play era started in 1997–98. After Atlanta rallied on an 18-6 run to cut the Celtics’ lead to 74-56 at halftime, the team led 68-38 at the end of the first quarter.

Hawks’ top scorer, Hunter, finished with 24 points, while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 22. Tatum scored 37 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Jaylen Brown scored 24 points for Boston.

Knicks 124, Pistons 99

Donte DiVincenzo led host New York to a blowout of Detroit with a career-high 40 points thanks to a franchise-high 11 3-pointers.

DiVincenzo surpassed the record set by Evan Fournier on January 6, 2022, and J.R. Smith on April 6, 2014. On Monday night, Fournier—who was dealt by the Knicks to the Pistons on February 8—played for Detroit and covered DiVincenzo for the majority of the second half.

Josh Hart recorded his sixth triple-double of the year with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 28 points. The Pistons, who have lost seven straight, were led by Marcus Sasser’s 24 points and James Wiseman’s double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Spurs 104, Suns 102

In the second game of the two-game set played over three days, San Antonio held off visiting Phoenix thanks to Jeremy Sochan’s 26 points, which included the game-winning 3-pointer in the last minute.

Victor Wembanyama, the outstanding rookie for the Spurs, was sidelined shortly before the game due to a sprained left ankle. For San Antonio, Sochan also pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds. Zach Collins scored 18 points, while Devin Vassell added 26.

For the Suns, Devin Booker finished with 36 points, Kevin Durant had 29, and Royce O’Neale had 12.

Cavaliers 115, Hornets 92

With 17 points apiece from Evan Mobley, Georges Niang, and Jarrett Allen, Cleveland easily defeated visiting Charlotte to snap a three-game losing streak.

After losing by 37 points at Miami on Sunday night, the Cavaliers made a strong comeback. Cleveland scored 53.5 percent from the field and had a 47-33 rebounding advantage.

The Hornets, who were destroyed by 41 points two nights prior in Atlanta and went winless during a four-game road trip, ended their five-game losing run. Brandon Miller scored 24 points for the Hornets.

Nets 96, Raptors 88

With a victory over Toronto, Trendon Watford scored 19 points off the bench to help visiting Brooklyn snap a six-game losing streak.

The Raptors had lost for eleven games in a row. Brooklyn’s Dennis Schroder, who began the season with Toronto, finished with 19 points as well.

With 18 points, Gary Trent Jr. led Toronto. Kelly Olynyk led the undermanned Raptors, who last triumphed on March 3, with 10 points and nine assists.

Wizards 107, Bulls 105

The Washington Wizards defeated the host Chicago Bulls with a game-high 23 points from Jordan Poole, securing their third consecutive victory.

Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points off the bench for Washington, while Corey Kispert added 19 points and 12 rebounds. With 27 points, DeMar DeRozan led Chicago, followed by Coby White with 22. The Bulls dropped three in a row.

With 5.3 seconds remaining, Justin Champagnie split two foul shots to tie the game at two points after White converted two free throws to reduce the Wizards’ lead to one. DeRozan missed a 3-point attempt with a chance to win it at the buzzer.

Rockets 110, Trail Blazers 92

After a slow start, Jalen Green scored 27 points, 12 of which came during a decisive run in the third quarter, to lead Houston over Portland.

The Rockets improved to 11-1 in March and continued their winning run at nine games. Together, Green and Fred VanVleet shot 14 for 44, with 6 of those 20 coming from beyond the arc. For the Rockets, freshman Amen Thompson scored 12 points and nine rebounds, while Jock Landale finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Leading the Trail Blazers with 28 points and 11 rebounds was Dalano Banton. While Toumani Camara contributed 12 points and five rebounds, Scoot Henderson added 15 points, and Portland lost for the sixth straight game.

Also Read: Los Angeles Lakers’ Thrilling Victory Over Milwaukee Bucks 

Also Read: Phoenix Suns Secure Crucial Win  Against Nuggets

Nuggets 128, Grizzlies 103

After missing just one game, Nikola Jokic returned and scored 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out eight assists as host Denver defeated struggling Memphis in its fifth straight loss.

Denver, which is 15-2 since the All-Star break, received 17 points from Christian Braun and 15 from Reggie Jackson. In the battle for the top spot in the Western Conference, the Nuggets lead the Oklahoma City Thunder by one game.

For the Grizzlies, Lamar Stevens scored 19 points off the bench and Scotty Pippen Jr. contributed 17.

Mavericks 115, Jazz 105

In Salt Lake City, Luka Doncic scored 29 points and recorded his 19th triple-double of the year to help Dallas defeat Utah.

Doncic scored six points during a commanding 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 13 assists and 12 rebounds. For the Mavericks, who have won eight of their last nine games and four in a row, Kyrie Irving contributed 27 points.

With 34 points, Lauri Markkanen led all scorers for the struggling Jazz, who have now lost 17 of 20 games and six in a row. Despite having a great offensive first half, Utah only managed to score 17 points in the fourth quarter and 39 in the second half.

Kings 108, 76ers 96

Domantas Sabonis extended his NBA triple-double lead, Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox each scored 23 points, and host Sacramento steadily drew away from a fatigued Philadelphia team.

With his sixth victory in the previous eight games, Sabonis finished with 11 points and game-highs of 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Kings, who began a crucial five-game homestand with a victory.

For the 76ers, who finished their six-day Western Conference road trip with a 1-3 record, Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 29 points.

Pacers 133, Clippers 116

Indiana defeated the visiting Los Angeles Clippers with the help of 31 points from Pascal Siakam and 24 from Myles Turner. Indiana’s defense also played better.

The Pacers won for the third time in four games behind the 21 points and nine assists from Tyrese Haliburton and the 15 points from T.J. McConnell. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday by allowing 150 points, Indiana managed to contain the Clippers.

The Clippers lost their second straight home game and slipped into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference despite 26 points apiece from Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. In his first game back after surgery for a fractured left hand, Russell Westbrook contributed 14 points and seven assists in 18 minutes.