Hawks stage an impressive comeback to defeat the Celtics.
Monday night’s clash between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics followed a familiar pattern seen in many Celtics’ games throughout the 2023-24 NBA season. Boston, leading the league with the best record, maintained a commanding lead over the struggling Hawks for most of the game.
Atlanta, missing their All-Star point guard Trae Young, is stumbling towards the NBA Play-In Tournament, currently holding the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. This position seemed likely to weaken further on Monday. By halftime, the Celtics were up by 30 points, leading 68-38 after an Al Horford 3-pointer. Given the trajectories of both teams, it appeared unsurprising for Atlanta to succumb without a fight.
However, the game took a dramatic turn. Despite Boston’s nine-game winning streak and winning 20 of their last 22 games, the momentum shifted in favor of the Hawks. Atlanta initiated one of the most remarkable comebacks witnessed in recent NBA history.
The Hawks clinched a 120-118 victory in a fiercely contested fourth quarter. Taking their first lead of the game with 9:42 remaining, Wesley Matthews drained a crucial 3-pointer, putting the Hawks ahead 97-96.
The defining moment for Atlanta occurred in the final seconds. Following a missed jump shot by Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela secured the offensive rebound and passed to D’Andre Hunter. Rather than waiting for a foul, Hunter decided to take matters into his own hands, sinking a game-sealing 3-pointer.
“I’m shooting if he passes it to me,” Hunter recounted. “He got the rebound, he passed it to me, so I shot it.”
This shot capped off the Hawks’ stunning comeback, one of the most impressive in NBA history. A 30-point deficit ties as the fourth-largest comeback in league history and marks the largest for Atlanta since detailed play-by-play tracking began in the 1997-98 season.
The last NBA comeback of such magnitude occurred during the 2021-22 season when the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 35-point deficit against the Washington Wizards. Prior to the Hawks’ achievement, teams trailing by 30 or more points in an NBA game over the last 25 years held a dismal record of 5-2,606.
