NBA roundup: Hawks overcome a 30-point deficit to edge Celtics
Dejounte Murray scored 19 points, dished out 15 assists, and hit the game-winning shot with one minute left to help the Atlanta Hawks overcome a 30-point deficit and defeat the visiting Boston Celtics 120-118 on Monday.
De'Andre Hunter followed with a three-pointer, extending Atlanta's lead to four points with 10.1 seconds left. Boston's Jayson Tatum scored a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left, but Atlanta was able to inbound the ball after a timeout and run out the clock.
Since the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks on December 6, 2002, no team has successfully recovered from a 30-point deficit against the NBA's best team.
Monday also marked the Hawks' largest come-from-behind victory since the play-by-play era began in 1997-98. The Celtics led 68-38 in the second quarter, but Atlanta used an 18-6 run to cut the lead to 74-56 at halftime.
Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 22. Tatum led Boston with 37 points and eight rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points.
Knicks 124 - 99 Pistons
Donte DiVincenzo set a franchise record with 11 3-pointers and scored a career-high 40 points to lead host New York to a rout of Detroit.
DiVincenzo broke the record set by J.R. Smith on April 6, 2014, which was later matched by Evan Fournier on January 6, 2022. Fournier, who was traded from the Knicks to the Pistons on February 8, played for Detroit on Monday night and spent the majority of the second half covering DiVincenzo.
Josh Hart had his sixth triple-double of the season (11 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists), and Jalen Brunson had 28 points for the Knicks. For the Pistons, who have lost seven straight games, James Wiseman (14 points, 11 rebounds) had a double-double and Marcus Sasser scored 24 points.
Spurs 104 - 102 Suns
Jeremy Sochan scored 26 points, including the game-winning three-pointer in the final minute, as San Antonio defeated visiting Phoenix in the second game of a two-game series in three days.
The Spurs were without star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who was ruled out shortly before the game due to a sprained left ankle. Sochan also had a career-best 18 rebounds for San Antonio. Devin Vassell added 26 points, and Zach Collins had 18.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 36 points, Kevin Durant had 29, and Royce O'Neale added 12.
Cavs 115 - 92 Hornets
Jarrett Allen, Georges Niang, and Evan Mobley all scored 17 points as Cleveland pulled away to defeat visiting Charlotte and snap a three-game losing streak.
Cleveland shot 53.5 percent from the field and had a 47-33 rebounding advantage, marking a significant turnaround from their 37-point loss at Miami on Sunday night.
Brandon Miller scored 24 points for the Hornets, who were blown out by 41 points in Atlanta two nights earlier and went winless on a four-game road trip, extending their overall losing streak to five games.
Nets 96 - 88 Raptors
Trendon Watford scored 19 points off the bench as visiting Brooklyn defeated Toronto, snapping a six-game losing streak.
It was the Raptors' 11th consecutive loss. Dennis Schroder, who began the season with Toronto, also scored 19 points for Brooklyn.
Gary Trent Jr. led Toronto with 18 points, while Kelly Olynyk contributed 10 points and nine assists for the undermanned Raptors, who last won on March 3.
Wizards 107 - 105 Bulls
Jordan Poole led Washington past host Chicago with a team-high 23 points, giving the Wizards their third consecutive victory.
Washington's Corey Kispert added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points off the bench. DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points, and Coby White had 22. The Bulls have lost three straight games.
After White made two free throws to cut the Wizards' lead to one, Justin Champagnie split two foul shots with 5.3 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. DeRozan had a chance to win, but he missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Rockets 110 - 92 Trail Blazers
Jalen Green scored 27 points, including 12 in a crucial third-quarter run, to help Houston overcome a slow start and defeat visiting Portland.
The Rockets increased their winning streak to nine games and improved to 11-1 in March. Green and Fred VanVleet went 14-for-44, including 6-for-20 from beyond the arc. The Rockets' Jock Landale had 17 points and nine rebounds, while rookie Amen Thompson had 12 and nine.
Dalano Banton led the Trail Blazers with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Scoot Henderson added 15 points, while Toumani Camara contributed 12 points and five rebounds as Portland suffered its seventh consecutive loss.
Nuggets 128 - 103 Grizzlies
Nikola Jokic scored 29 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in his return from a one-game absence, as host Denver handed struggling Memphis its fifth loss in six games.
Denver have been 15-2 since the All-Star break, with Christian Braun scoring 17 points and Reggie Jackson adding 15 points. The Nuggets are one game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference race for first place.
The Grizzlies' Lamar Stevens scored 19 points off the bench, while Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17.
Mavericks 115 - 105 Jazz
Luka Doncic scored 29 points and recorded his 19th triple-double of the season as Dallas defeated Utah in Salt Lake City.
Doncic, who had 13 assists and 12 rebounds, also scored six points during a crucial 12-0 run in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving scored 27 points for the Mavericks, who have won four consecutive games and eight of their last nine.
Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 34 points for the struggling Jazz, who have lost six straight games and 17 of their last 20. Utah only scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and 39 in the second half, despite a strong offensive performance in the first.
Kings 108 - 96 76ers
Keegan Murray and De'Aaron Fox both had 23 points, Domantas Sabonis extended his NBA triple-double lead, and host Sacramento gradually pulled away from road-weary Philadelphia.
Sabonis led the Kings with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, as they opened a crucial five-game homestand with their sixth win in the last eight games.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 29 points as they finished 1-3 on a six-day Western Conference road trip.
Pacers 133 - 116 Clippers
Pascal Siakam scored 31 points and Myles Turner added 24 as Indiana defeated host Los Angeles thanks to improved defense.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 21 points and had nine assists, while T.J. McConnell added 15 points as the Pacers won for the third time in four games. Indiana kept the Clippers in check after allowing 150 points to the Los Angeles Lakers in a loss on Sunday.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points as the Clippers lost their second consecutive home game and fell into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference. Russell Westbrook had 14 points and seven assists in 18 minutes in his first game back from surgery for a fractured left hand.
SportsLigue