NBA roundup: Hawks edge Jazz with thrilling buzzer-beater, Celtics defeat Nuggets

Trae Young's remarkable buzzer-beating three-pointer propelled the Atlanta Hawks to a 124-121 triumph over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, coinciding with Boston's victory over Denver in a matchup of the last two NBA champions.

As the game reached its climax, the Salt Lake City crowd erupted when Collin Sexton sank a three-pointer, leveling the score at 121-121 with just four seconds left on the clock.

With overtime seemingly imminent, Young executed a breathtaking shot from half-court, marking the third buzzer-beater of his career, as noted by the Hawks.

Young concluded the game with an impressive tally of 24 points and 20 assists, aiding the Hawks in improving their record to 19-18, despite Lauri Markkanen's outstanding 35 points for the Jazz.

In Denver, Jayson Tatum contributed 29 points while Kristaps Porzingis added 25, leading the Boston Celtics, the reigning champions, to a 118-106 victory over the 2023 titleholders, the Denver Nuggets, who were missing three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic due to illness.

Porzingis was instrumental in Boston's strong start, scoring 15 points in the first quarter; however, their initial 37-25 lead diminished in the second quarter, resulting in a 57-57 tie at halftime.

Russell Westbrook led the Nuggets with 26 points, contributing to a total of six Denver players scoring in double figures. Nevertheless, the Celtics executed a decisive 15-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

In New Orleans, Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 104-97 victory over the Pelicans with 32 points and nine rebounds, marking a challenging return for Pelicans star Zion Williamson after a two-month injury hiatus.

Williamson recorded 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Dejounte Murray was the top scorer for New Orleans with 29 points, while CJ McCollum struggled significantly, managing only five points on one-for-14 shooting.

Quentin Grimes emerged as an unexpected hero for the Dallas Mavericks, who, despite being plagued by injuries, decisively defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 118-97, ending a five-game losing streak.

Grimes, coming off the bench, scored 23 points and secured nine rebounds, successfully making six of the Mavericks' 18 three-pointers.

Dallas, the reigning champions of the Western Conference, had struggled with a record of 1-5 since Luka Doncic sustained a calf strain on Christmas Day. On Monday, the team announced that Kyrie Irving would also be unavailable for an extended period due to a lower back sprain.

After trailing by as many as six points in the second quarter, the Mavericks concluded the first half with an impressive 11-0 scoring run, establishing a 55-50 lead that they maintained throughout the second half.

Anthony Davis contributed 21 points and secured 12 rebounds for the Lakers, while LeBron James added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

However, Dallas dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Lakers 44-33, and capitalized on their 11 offensive rebounds to score 15 second-chance points compared to the Lakers' seven.

P.J. Washington led the Mavericks with 22 points, followed by Spencer Dinwiddie with 19 and Klay Thompson with 13, enabling Dallas to surpass the Lakers in the Western Conference standings.

"We understood the importance of getting back on track," Grimes stated during an interview with TNT. "We approached the game with the right mindset after losing five in a row, so it feels great to regain our momentum."

In Charlotte, the Hornets ended their 10-game losing streak with a 115-104 win against the Phoenix Suns.

LaMelo Ball was instrumental, scoring 32 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Miles Bridges added 21 points. The Hornets took control of the game by outscoring the Suns 37-17 in the second quarter.

Devin Booker had an impressive performance for Phoenix, scoring 39 points and providing 10 assists, while Kevin Durant contributed 26 points. Nevertheless, the Suns have now lost five of their last six games.