ATLANTA (AP) — De’Andre Hunter had the option to hold the ball and make the Celtics foul him, but instead, he decided to take a shot. In a game where the Atlanta Hawks made an incredible comeback from a 30-point deficit against the NBA-leading Boston Celtics, it was fitting that Hunter’s shot went in without touching the rim.
Hunter scored a total of 24 points, with a crucial 3-pointer with just 9.2 seconds left on the clock, securing the Hawks’ unbelievable 120-118 victory over the Celtics on Monday night.
The Celtics had been on an impressive winning streak, having won 20 out of their last 22 games. When Al Horford’s 3-pointer put Boston up 68-38 with just under 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half, it seemed like the Hawks had no chance.
However, the underdog Hawks, missing key players due to injuries, including All-Star Trae Young, fought back and managed to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history.
Dejounte Murray’s reverse layup put the Hawks ahead at 117-116, and Jaylen Brown missed a crucial 3-pointer. Hunter then sealed the game with a clutch 3-pointer after grabbing an offensive rebound from Capela.
Despite the risky decision to take the shot instead of running down the clock, Hunter had visualized himself making that shot before he even received the ball.
Hawks coach Quin Snyder commended Hunter’s decision to take the shot, stating that he had confidence in his player.
It was a shocking defeat for the Celtics, who had been dominating the East, to a team that was trailing them by a huge margin in the standings.
The Hawks’ impressive comeback started with a 9-0 run at the end of the first half and continued into the third quarter, where they outscored the Celtics by 19 points.
Several bench players stepped up for the Hawks, with Vit Krejci scoring 16 points, Bruno Fernando with 13, and Wesley Matthews hitting crucial 3-pointers.
With a sea of green Celtics fans in attendance, Boston started strong, but ultimately couldn’t hold off the relentless Hawks. Tatum led the Celtics with 37 points, while Brown added 24.
The Hawks’ victory will go down as one of the most surprising wins in recent NBA history, a testament to their resilience and determination against all odds.
