One of the oddest trends to emerge in the NBA in recent nights is the Boston Celtics‘ inability to put away the Atlanta Hawks. On Monday, the Celtics blew a 30-point lead to the Hawks, resulting in one of the wildest comebacks in league history.
On Thursday, Boston had a chance to exact some revenge. This time the matchup was more competitive, as the largest lead in the game was only eight points by the Celtics; the Hawks’ largest lead was by four points.
While the lead-up to the finale was different, the end result was the same. The Hawks were able to pick up another victory, this time winning 123-122 in overtime. For the second time in just four days, they were able to upend the Celtics epically.
This time, the final dagger was provided by guard Dejounte Murray. With 0.1 seconds remaining in the game, Murray knocked down a midrange jumper to give his team another shocking upset victory.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Dejounte Murray, Kobe Bryant, Atlanta Hawks Updates
Murray’s stat line for the game is a good one, as he scored 44 points to go along with seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block in 47 minutes. However, he had one of the least efficient shooting nights the NBA has ever seen.
To score his 44 points, he attempted 44 shot attempts, going 18-of-44 overall and 6-of-19 from 3-point range. After the game, he made mention of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who he certainly channeled for this game.
According to StatMuse on X, Bryant was the last person to have a game like Murray did. The 44 points that he scored on 44 shot attempts are the fewest points on that many shots since Bryant in 2022.
As the adage goes, shooters shoot. That is what Murray did on Thursday night, as he kept firing despite his shooting percentage being less than ideal. While the shooting percentage isn’t pretty, he made the one that mattered, sending the fans in State Farm Arena home happy with another victory.
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