The Atlanta basketball players with Vít Krejčí defeated the NBA leader Boston again, this time 123:122 after overtime and claimed their fourth win in a row. After Monday’s balanced duel (120:118), the Celtics won again in a dramatic finish.
Dejounte Murray flashed a new career high of 44 points and a decisive basket with a tenth of a second left. Krejčí scored two points, three rebounds and an assist.
The 23-year-old Czech quarterback equaled a personal record in the overseas league with 16 points against Boston three days ago. He played 35 minutes on Thursday and made just one shot on the field, coming off an offensive rebound in the second quarter. In the end, he fouled out.
Murray, the hero of the game, scored all 11 of the Hawks’ points in overtime. “I’m just built for these moments. I’m confident,” Murray said after not defending Jrue Holiday’s latest action. He needed the same number of attempts for a total of 44 points. His start was uncertain due to back problems, but he also added seven rebounds and assists.
After the longest winning streak of the season, Atlanta once again consolidated the tenth place in the Eastern Conference. Not even Jayson Tatum’s 31 points were valid for Boston, which is already its sure winner.
In the second game on Thursday, New Orleans beat Milwaukee 107:100. The Pelicans created a key lead in the second quarter, which they dominated 35:20. They had 16 points to their credit at halftime. The best scorer of the winning team was Zion Williamson with 28 points.
