With a 30-point lead at the half of the second quarter, the Boston Celtics were ready to raise their record to an NBA-best and extend their winning run to ten games. However, the Atlanta Hawks stepped up and controlled the game.
With little over four minutes remaining before halftime, the Hawks trailed 68-38. However, they overcame the 30-point deficit to defeat the Celtics shockingly with a score of 120-118.
The NBA claims that this was the biggest comeback in this year’s season and the biggest turnaround of Hawks since the 1997-98.
In the closing seconds of the game, Hawks player De’Andre Hunter received the ball outside the three-point line after Clint Capela had successfully grabbed the offensive rebound, giving Atlanta supporters something to celebrate.
Atlanta Hawks – Uleashing power
With just 11 seconds remaining with Atlanta up by one point, Hunter ought to have clung to the ball. To the delight of both his teammates and Hawks supporters, Hunter instead unleashed his shooting from three-point range and scored to secure the victory.
In a post-game conference, Hawks coach Quin Snyder stated: “Any time you’re down that much, you have to have something out of the ordinary to get back in the game.. And when you have a group of people you know who are behind you, thick or thin, rain or shine – and there was a lot of rain early – they were a big part of helping the sun come out tonight.”
While Atlanta celebrated their victory with smiles on their faces, Boston was embarrassed by the game, losing to a team that is currently nine slots behind the Celtics in the Eastern Conference rankings as the regular season draws to an end.
The Celtics finish the regular season with a 57-15 record, but they still have the best record in the league going into the postseason.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: CNN