The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics 120-118 after staging the biggest comeback in history against the Boston Celtics, marking the fifth largest comeback in NBA history.
The Boston Celtics, who secured the top spot in the East before the playoffs, faced Atlanta without their star Trae Young, played an excellent game. They led by 30 points, and everything seemed like a disaster for the home team.
Boston, led by Jayson Tatum, dominated early in the game, and midway through the second quarter, they had 68 points on the board, while Atlanta Hawks had 38, and it all smelled like disaster. By halftime, the home team managed to reduce the deficit to 74-56.
DJ steal and finds Bogi for 3 for the lead again! pic.twitter.com/FUypFZhqwf
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 26, 2024
The beginning of the third quarter and a 19-4 run by the home team, initiated by Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter, gave hope for a comeback to the home fans. At the start of the final quarter, the home team took the lead, and an intense finish followed, with Bogdanovic hitting the crucial three-pointer to give his team a 115-114 lead.
The Atlanta Hawks were led to the win by DeAndre Hunter with 24 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic with 22 (4/7 from three-point range), while the Celtics’ top performers were Jayson Tatum with 37 points and Jaylen Brown, who scored 24.
Brown was extremely angry after the Hawks’ victory, so much so that during Bogdanovic’s attempt to greet him, he bumped into the Serbian basketball player with his shoulder, essentially ‘going through him,’ ignoring him.
Jaylen Brown walking right through Bogdan Bogdanović. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/4J972Cblqu
— The Celtics Files (@CelticsFiles) March 26, 2024