Celtics hold off Hawks to advance in NBA playoffs

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 62 points and the Boston Celtics clamped down late to hold off the Atlanta Hawks in a 128-120 thriller on Thursday to win their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The Celtics, trying to get back to the NBA Finals after falling last season to the Golden State Warriors, won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, to line up a conference semi-final showdown with a Philadelphia 76ers team led by Joel Embiid and James Harden.

Trae Young, hero of the Hawks' 119-117 come-from-behind victory in Game 5 that extended the series on Tuesday, scored 30 points with 10 assists.

But Young ran out of gas in the second half, scoring just five points after the break and finishing the game nine-for-28 from the field.

Brown scored 32 points and Tatum had 30 for the Celtics, who used an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to finally take control of a game that featured 22 lead changes and was tied 15 times.

"I think in that fourth quarter, four minutes left, we made winning plays," Tatum told broadcaster TNT. "We talked about it before the game -- do whatever it takes."

The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter alone. Former Hawk Al Horford put the Celtics up for good with a three-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Tatum followed with another three-pointer, Brown produced a block and Tatum slammed home a Horford miss to cap the 11-0 run that had the Celtics up by eight with 2:07 to play.

Atlanta wouldn't get the deficit below five points the rest of the way.

Marcus Smart scored 22 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 17 off the bench and Horford chipped in 10 for the Celtics.

"I thought Smart was tremendous, especially late in the fourth quarter," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "He got us organized and then he was kind of the triggerman. They were blitzing, he made the right plays."

Young, whose 38 points in Game 5 included a game-winning three-pointer, said he just couldn't shake Smart in the second half.

"Marcus was being way more aggressive," Young said. "In the second half he was more just connected to me. They picked up the physicality. It was tough."

In the end, Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, the Celtics were just too much.

"Obviously Tatum and Brown were a handful, which we expect," Snyder said. "We blitzed their pick and roll, we hit them on the dribble, hit them on the pass and when we didn't they were able to make plays. When we did, you're susceptible to the three."

The Celtics made 18 of their 42 three-point attempts, Brown draining six from beyond the arc and every Boston starter making at least one trey.

Even so, Snyder said, "we were right there. It's a tough game."

Added Young: "You've just got to tip your cap sometimes and give credit where it's due."

The second-seeded Celtics, the highest seeds left in the East after the Miami Heat's upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, host the third-seeded 76ers in game one on Monday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Knicks dominate Cavs, Hawks claw back against Celtics

LOS ANGELES -- The New York Knicks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-79 on Friday, electrifying Madison Square Garden as they took a 2-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Atlanta Hawks also came up with a big home win, downing the Boston Celtics 130-122 to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole in their Eastern Conference series -- a deficit no NBA team has ever recovered from to win a best-of-seven set.

In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points and RJ Barrett added 19 for the Knicks, who rebounded from a humbling game two defeat in Cleveland.

The Knicks' suffocating defense contributed to a dismal night for Cleveland's Darius Garland, who missed 17 of his 21 shot attempts on the way to 10 points.

Donovan Mitchell scored 22 to lead the Cavs, who became the first team this season to be held under 80 points in an NBA game.

To top it off, Garland -- who scored 32 points in the Cavs' win on Tuesday -- needed treatment on his left ankle in the second half after stepping on a courtside photographer's foot.

The game was the first playoff contest at Madison Square Garden in two years and the "chaos" that New York native and Cavs star Mitchell predicted materialized.

Both teams made sloppy starts in the raucous atmosphere, but the Knicks steadied to take a 13-point halftime lead that they pushed to as many as 27.

"This was great," said Brunson, but he warned that the Cavs would punch back in game four on Sunday.

"You want to carry it over, but at the same time we've got to be focused, we've got to be ready to go. It's not just going to be handed to us -- we've got to go out there and get it."

In Atlanta, Trae Young scored 32 points and Dejounte Murray added 25 as the hot-shooting Hawks clawed back into their series against the Celtics.

Young shook off two sub-par performances with a stellar display.

"Our whole team was making plays all night and it was up to me to go make the right one," Young said. "It's not only to score, sometimes it's to get everybody involved.

"So I'm just trying to make the right play and tonight I did."

Young connected on 12 of 22 shots from the field, pulled down six rebounds and handed out nine assists.

He also produced a pair of blocks as the Hawks out-hustled the second-seeded Celtics -- who fell to Golden State in the NBA Finals last year.

- A matter of will -

Jayson Tatum scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Boston. Marcus Smart added 24 and Jaylen Brown had 15 for the Celtics, who drained 21 three-pointers but were out-rebounded 48-29.

Smart said there was no secret to the Hawks' advantage on the boards, which led to their 23-9 edge in second-chance points.

"It's just a matter of will," Smart said, "and they wanted it more tonight."

Atlanta shot 67.4 percent from the field in the first half and shot 56 percent for the game overall, Boston managing only for short stretches in the second half to turn up the defensive volume.

Tatum still had a chance to tie it with 58.1 seconds left but his three-point attempt bounced off the rim and the Hawks pulled away.

"I've got to play better," said a dejected Tatum, who said he made too many untimely turnovers and poor decisions. "This one tonight is on me."

Atlanta will try to level the series when they host game four on Sunday.

Elsewhere on Friday, Western Conference top seeds Denver tried to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their series when they visited the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Booker shines as Suns sink Clippers, Celtics dominant

Devin Booker led a second-half rally as the Phoenix Suns came from behind to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 123-109, and level their Western Conference playoff series 1-1 on Tuesday.

Booker scored 18 points in the third quarter before finishing with a 38-point haul to complete a battling comeback by Phoenix, who had trailed by 13 in the second quarter against the Kawhi Leonard-inspired Clippers.

The Clippers stunned Phoenix at home in Game 1 on Sunday and appeared to be well on their way to taking a commanding 2-0 series lead after surging into a 49-36 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

But Kevin Durant, veteran Chris Paul and Booker sparked into life for Phoenix in the closing minutes of the first half to erase the Clippers lead, and Booker drained a 27-foot three-pointer on the stroke of half-time to make it a tie game at 59-59 at the break.

Booker then took over with a flurry of scoring in the third quarter to fire Phoenix into a 92-87 lead heading into the final quarter.

Durant finished with 25 points while Paul chipped in with 16 to help see Phoenix home as the series heads to Los Angeles for game three on Thursday.

"We wanted to protect home court in game two, we got one, and now we're off to LA," Booker said afterwards.

"It's the playoffs, it's win at all costs -- doesn't matter what happened these past two games. You've got to move on to the next one -- it's a new assignment for us."

Leonard led the scoring for the Clippers with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Russell Westbrook had 28 points.

In other playoff action, Jayson Tatum starred as the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks, while Darius Garland delivered a 32-point gem in Cleveland's series-leveling rout of the New York Knicks.

Tatum finished with 29 points as the second-seeded Celtics overcame a slow start to dominate the seventh-seeded Hawks for a 119-106 victory at Boston's TD Garden.

"Playoffs are all about adjustments, trying to move on from game to game, seeing what you can do better -- and I think we played better," Tatum said.

"We want to be peaking at this time of year. Everybody's healthy, playing the right way, playing really well -- but we've got another level we can go to hopefully."

Atlanta jumped out to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter before Boston's offense clicked to give the Celtics a 28-25 lead heading into the second quarter.

Once in front, the Celtics never relinquished the advantage, opening up a 61-49 half-time lead and extending that to 20 points midway through the third quarter as Boston's defense shut down Atlanta's scoring.

Atlanta rallied to get within eight points of the Celtics in the fourth quarter, but Boston never looked like squandering their lead down the stretch and pulled away convincingly to ensure they will take a 2-0 advantage into game three in Atlanta on Friday.

Tatum finished with 29 points including five three-pointers, while Derrick White provided offensive support with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 18 points.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta's scorers with 29 points while Trae Young finished with 24.

"They won, we lost -- we've just got to be better," Atlanta playmaker Young said.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers roared back into their best-of-seven series with the Knicks to score a 107-90 win.

Beaten 101-97 in game one on Saturday, the Cavaliers bounced back in spectacular fashion to score a blowout victory.

Cleveland opened up a 25-22 first-quarter lead and never looked back, outscoring Cleveland 34-17 in the second quarter to take a decisive grip on the contest.

New York failed to get within 15 points of the Cavs throughout the second half, as Cleveland powered on to lead by as many as 29 midway through the fourth quarter.

Cleveland point guard Garland produced a sparkling display with 32 points -- 26 of them in a devastating first-half scoring burst.

Caris LeVert added 24 off the bench while Donovan Mitchell added 17 points with 13 assists.

The Knicks offense failed to fire, with the team's 90-point total their second lowest tally of the season.

Julius Randle finished with 22 points while Jalen Brunson added 20.

Game 3 of the series takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kings edge Warriors in playoff thriller as Sixers, Celtics roll

WASHINGTON -- De'Aaron Fox scored 38 points and Malik Monk added 32 off the bench in leading the Sacramento Kings to a 126-123 victory over Golden State for their first NBA playoff triumph in 17 years.

The Kings, who had not reached the post-season since 2006, seized a 1-0 lead over the defending champions in a Western Conference best-of-seven first round series that continues in Sacramento on Monday.

In Eastern Conference playoff series openers on Saturday, the New York Knicks edged host Cleveland 101-97, Boston routed Atlanta 112-99 and Philadelphia beat Brooklyn 121-101.

Fox made 13-of-27 shots in his playoff debut, 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and 8-of-12 free throws then after the victory pushed the button to send the Kings' laser light -- symbolic of a Kings victory -- from the outside of the arena.

Monk sank 8-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point range plus all 14 of his free throws. He made two late free throws to create the final margin and Stephen Curry missed a final 3-point shot for the Warriors to force overtime.

Reserve Trey Lyles added 16 points and NBA rebounds leader Domantas Sabonis had 12 points and 16 rebounds for Sacramento.

"Our bench came in and they did a hell of a job tonight, especially Malik and Trey. They ignited us," Fox said.

"We knew we had to go out and be physical -- try not to foul because this is probably the best free throw shooting team in the league -- and get it done on the defensive end and we got some key stops."

Fox caught fire in the second half and Sacramento used a late 7-0 run for a 119-114 lead that put the hosts ahead to stay.

"In the second half, I got into a rhythm, my teammates continued to hit me in my spot and I just did what they want me to do," Fox said.

Curry led Golden State with 30 points while Klay Thompson added 21.

At Cleveland, Jalen Brunson scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half to lead New York's victory while the Cavaliers were led by 38 points from Donovan Mitchell.

A late Brunson miss was rebounded by New York's Julius Randle, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and that set up two clinching Knicks free throws by Quentin Grimes.

"They just kept fighting," Brunson said. "We kept our composure. Made plays down the stretch, made a couple of huge stops. We just kept fighting, kept sticking together and stayed poised."

NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid had 26 points while NBA assists champion James Harden added 23 points and 13 assists in the Sixers' romp.

The host Sixers, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, sank a club playoff record 21 3-pointers in 43 attempts.

"(That) was a good win for us," Harden said. "We'll be watching film. Game two is going to be the toughest game of the series for us. We'll be ready to go."

Cameroonian star Embiid went 7-of-15 from the floor and 11-of-11 from the free throw line.

- 'Keep pushing' -

Harden hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range and helped eight Sixers in all make 3-pointers.

"Just finding ways to impact the game possession by possession," said Harden, a former Nets backcourt star.

"It's the playoffs. Things don't go the way you want as much as you want them to. You've got to keep pushing, keep fighting, and I'm happy we got a win."

Philadelphia made a club one-half playoff record of 13 3-pointers on the way to a 67-58 halftime edge.

Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 30 points, but only seven in the second half.

The Celtics ripped visiting Atlanta 112-99 behind 29 points and 12 rebounds from Jaylen Brown and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Jayson Tatum.

Brown played with a wrapping on cut fingers and a protective mask he has had for two months due to a facial fracture.

"Got to come out and be ready to go," he said. "My team depends on me. My city depends on me. I don't make no excuses. I come out and play ball."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Celtics notch eighth straight win

LOS ANGELES -- Boston's bench came up big Wednesday to help the Celtics notch an eighth straight NBA victory, 126-101 over the Hawks in Atlanta.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 22 points and his fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum added 19, but Brown said it was the 44 points from the Boston reserves that ultimately made the difference.

"They won the game," Brown said after Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet scored 15 points apiece off the bench and Payton Pritchard added 14.

"Me and JT played decent, but our bench carried us and carried our team."

Brown said the reserves' contribution made up for the injury absences of Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon.

The Celtics went into the contest leading the NBA in three-pointers made per game and knocked down 21 as a team.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 27 points, but the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics held Atlanta to just 41.6% shooting in a dominant performance.

"We just play the game the right way," Brown said. "We play solid ball, we try to get everyone involved. We've got a really good team from top to bottom."

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the game-winning three-pointer in the Thunder's 121-120 come-from-behind victory over the Wizards in Washington.

The Thunder trailed by 17 in the first quarter and were down by 13 at the half, but clawed their way back in a game that featured 15 lead changes.

Bradley Beal put the Wizards up 120-118 with a fadeaway jumper with 6.7 seconds remaining.

But Gilgeous-Alexander had the answer with a step-back trey with 1.9 seconds on the clock.

The Wizards had one more possession, but an inbounds pass lofted across the court toward Beal was sent out of bounds by Lu Dort as time expired.

"We gave them a little bit of a lead tonight and we had to fight to get back," Gilgeous-Alexander, who matched his career-high with 42 points -- 30 of them in the second half -- said in a post-game television interview.

He added six rebounds and seven assists for his third straight game of at least 35 points and five assists.

"Feels good," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Last week or so, same situation, we didn't close the game out the way we wanted to. We've learned from it, and we got better. That's our goal every day."

Beal, returning from a five-game absence because of Covid protocols, scored 25 points. Kristaps Porzingis led Washington with 27, but the Wizards' four-game win streak ended.

- Hornets' Ball limps out -

In Toronto, O.G. Anunoby scored a season-high 32 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Raptors in a 112-104 victory over Miami that snapped the Heat's three-game winning streak.

The Indiana Pacers stung the Hornets 125-113 in Charlotte, a defeat made even more painful for the hosts when guard LaMelo Ball, who missed the first 13 games of the season, reinjured his left ankle with a couple of minutes remaining when he stepped on a fan's foot trying to chase down a loose ball.

Ball led the Hornets with 26 points, 16 in the second half, and made five three-pointers before departing.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 22 points and handed out 11 assists and Myles Turner added 20 points for the Pacers, who won for the sixth time in eight games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves romped to a 126-108 victory over the injury depleted Magic in Orlando.

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 35 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 for the Timberwolves, who led 42-24 after the first quarter and rolled from there.

The Magic were without number one draft pick Paolo Banchero for a fourth straight game,

They still managed to reduce a 27-point deficit to nine in the fourth quarter before the T-Wolves relentlessly pulled away again.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Kevin Durant does it again as Nets surge past Hawks

Kevin Durant scored 31 points and James Harden collected 20 points and 11 assists to lift the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Durant made 12 of 22 shots from the floor to torment the Hawks for the second time this season. He scored 32 points in Brooklyn's 117-108 home win over Atlanta on Nov. 3.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Bruce Brown each had 15 points for the Nets, who exploited the interior by scoring 66 points in the paint. Brooklyn also stepped it up in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks by a 24-14 margin.

Trae Young recorded 31 points and 10 assists, marking the fifth straight game he has reached at least 25 and 10, respectively.

Atlanta's John Collins had 20 points and Kevin Huerter sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 19-point performance. Clint Capela collected 14 points and 16 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari added 13 points for the Hawks, who have lost three of their last four games.

Durant made a mid-range jumper to give Brooklyn a 97-95 lead with 7:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. James Johnson followed with a layup and Harden added four quick points to cap an 8-0 run for the Nets.

Capela's basket and Young's 3-pointer and driving layup pulled the Hawks within one with 3:35 to play. However, Harden answered with a layup at the other end.

Durant forced a turnover at one end and sank a 19-foot jumper at the other to give Brooklyn a 107-102 lead with 2:14 remaining. He essentially sealed the win by making four straight foul shots down the stretch.

Atlanta scored 18 of the first 28 points of the third quarter to secure a 73-62 lead, capped by Huerter's fourth 3-pointer of the night. Undaunted, Brooklyn slowly chipped away before Cam Thomas calmly sank a pair of 3-pointers to give the Nets an 89-88 lead.

Durant made 6 of 8 shots from the floor to finish with 12 points in the first quarter. He drained a mid-range jumper and a driving layup to pull the Nets into a tie at 26 to the end the period.

-reuters-

NBA: Hawks pull level with Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo exits injured

Lou Williams contributed 21 points and eight assists while starting in place of injured star Trae Young to help the Atlanta Hawks post a 110-88 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday and tie the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Bogdan Bogdanovic made six 3-pointers while adding 20 points for the fifth-seeded Hawks, who never trailed and led by as many as 25 points.

While Young sat out Game 4 with a bone bruise in his right foot, the third-seeded Bucks lost their own star when two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee in the third quarter and didn't return.

Antetokounmpo had 14 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes before exiting with 7:14 left in the third period.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Clint Capela added 15 points for the Hawks before leaving with 3:28 left in the fourth after taking an elbow to his nose from Milwaukee's Sam Merrill. Kevin Huerter also scored 15 points for Atlanta.

Jrue Holiday recorded 19 points and nine assists and Khris Middleton had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who were a woeful 8 of 39 (20.5 percent) from 3-point range while shooting 39.3 percent overall.

Antetokounmpo was helped off the floor by his brother Thanasis after getting hurt.

Antetokounmpo got injured when he leaped to defend an alley-oop pass to Capela. Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee as he landed. He fell to the court in intense pain, grabbing the knee, and Capela fell on top of him after scoring the basket.

Young was injured in Game 3 on Sunday night when he inadvertently stepped on an official's foot.

Cam Reddish added 12 points and Danilo Gallinari tallied 10 for Atlanta, which shot 50 percent from the field and was 13 of 38 (34.2 percent) from behind the arc.

Capela's basket on the play in which Antetokounmpo was hurt ignited a 17-2 burst that saw the Hawks open up a 77-54 lead with 3:18 left in the third. Bogdanovic knocked down three 3-pointers during the run.

Reddish's 3-pointer with 29.7 seconds left elevated Atlanta's lead to 87-62 entering the fourth quarter.

Reddish and Huerter buried baskets 13 seconds apart in the final stanza to make it 104-80 with 4:20 left, prompting Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer to pull Holiday and Middleton and look toward Game 5.

Williams hit all four of his first-half field-goal attempts -- including one 3-pointer -- while scoring 13 points to help the Hawks hold a 51-38 halftime lead.

-reuters-

NBA: Bucks bury Hawks, level East finals at 1-1

The host Milwaukee Bucks upped their intensity from the jump, leading wire-to-wire on Friday en route to knotting the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks at one win apiece.

Fresh off a convincing 125-91 victory, the Bucks look to maintain that spirited play when the best-of-seven series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Sunday.

"We came in focused on each possession at a time in Game 2, and we were able to do it together as a team," said Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who collected 25 points and nine rebounds in three quarters before sitting out the fourth.

Jrue Holiday added 22 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor for the third-seeded Bucks.

Brook Lopez scored 16 points and Khris Middleton added 15 points and eight assists for Milwaukee, which effectively put the game on ice with a 20-0 run over a 4:18 span during the second quarter. 

The Bucks outscored Atlanta by a 43-17 margin in the second to claim a 77-45 lead at halftime.

Milwaukee shot 52.1 percent from the floor and took advantage of 20 turnovers by the fifth-seeded Hawks. The Bucks also made 15 of 41 attempts from 3-point range after sinking just 8 of 36 from beyond the arc Wednesday during a 116-113 loss in the series opener.

"We needed everybody to be more active," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. "The guys, they were great."

Atlanta's Trae Young finished with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor, but he also was responsible for nine turnovers.

"That's all on me. I have to be better at taking care of the ball and just doing a better job of at least giving us a shot and not turning it over way too much," Young said. "I have to do better and will be better next game."

Danilo Gallinari scored 12 points off the bench, and John Collins and Cam Reddish collected 11 points apiece as the Hawks fell to 0-3 in Game 2s this postseason.

Atlanta interim coach Nate McMillan tried to put a positive spin on his team's standing after the first two games of this series.

"Anytime you can go .500 on the road, that's a good thing -- especially in the playoffs," McMillan said. "We had the opportunity to get two, we got one, so we're happy with that.

"But there's another level we have to get to in order to win games and advance. That intensity they came out with wasn't a surprise to us. They just totally dominated the entire game."

Young made his lone 3-pointer on seven first-half attempts to trim Milwaukee's lead to 51-40 with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter before the Bucks turned the game into a laugher. 

Holiday scored nine points and Lopez added seven as Milwaukee erupted for 20 straight points to claim a 71-40 lead with 2:07 to play.

Milwaukee's Pat Connaughton added his third 3-pointer in as many attempts to cap the scoring in the third quarter. Jordan Nwora's layup early in the fourth pushed the Bucks' lead to a game-high 41 points at 105-64.

"Just build off tonight," Connaughton said, when asked how to keep the momentum going.

"There are still things that we can still do a little bit better. We learned from our mistakes from Game 1, we carried over our gameplan to Game 2, and now we need to do the same thing to Game 3."

Antetokounmpo highlighted his nine-point performance in the first quarter with a scintillating spin move around Solomon Hill before converting a finger-roll layup. Milwaukee made 7 of 12 shots from 3-point range to claim a 34-28 lead after the first quarter.

-reuters-

NBA: Hawks are rolling but remain big underdogs

The Atlanta Hawks' splashy performance in the first two rounds of the playoffs has failed to convince the betting industry that they can reach the NBA Finals.

The Hawks flashed their talent in a first-round series victory over the New York Knicks and followed up with a stunning 4-3 series win against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

Atlanta's matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks begins Wednesday, and the Bucks are heavy favorites to take out the Hawks.

The Bucks were listed Monday at -460 at FanDuel and -500 at BetMGM to win the series. The - 500 number means Milwaukee has an 83.3 percent shot to win the series.

The Hawks are by far the longest shot on the board among the remaining four teams to win the NBA title, too.

Milwaukee (+105), the Phoenix Suns (+150) and the Los Angeles Clippers (+800), per FanDuel, rate as better bets than the +1100 Hawks.

The Bucks, though, stamped their legitimacy by knocking out Kevin Durant, James Harden and the previous NBA Finals favorite Brooklyn Nets in their conference semifinal series.

Atlanta began the season 14-20 with Lloyd Pierce as head coach, but dramatically swing its momentum when Pierce was fired and replaced by Nate McMillan.

The finished the regular season by going 27-11 under McMillan.

Many see some big betting value, given that Hawks star guard Trae Young hit only five of his 23 shot attempts in the Game 7 win at Philadelphia.

He'll likely be much better against Milwaukee, which is listed as a seven-point favorite in Game 1.

-reuters-

NBA: LeBron James out indefinitely after injuring ankle

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James sustained a right ankle injury early in the second quarter of Saturday's 99-94 loss to the visiting Atlanta Hawks.

ESPN reported that James has a high ankle sprain and is out indefinitely. A Lakers sideline reporter confirmed the report.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player left the contest and postgame X-rays were negative. The team was waiting on MRI exam results, according to multiple reports.

Hawks forward Solomon Hill rolled into James' right ankle while chasing after a loose ball with 10:50 remaining in the second quarter. 

James let out a scream in frustration as he grimaced while rolling around on the floor.

"I haven't necessarily seen him scream and squall like that, probably ever, not even with that groin," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said, referencing an injury James sustained two seasons ago. "It had to hurt a little bit, for sure."

James, 36, was attended to by the team's training staff before returning to his feet. He stayed in the game and drained a 3-pointer to give him 10 points, extending his NBA-record run of double-digit scoring to 1,036 consecutive games.

But James soon called a timeout, left the floor and headed for the locker room. He knocked down a chair on the way. Fellow co-captain Anthony Davis went back to the locker room to check on James.

Coach Frank Vogel was tight-lipped about the situation following the game.

"The mood of the team is we're disappointed we lost, and we've got to come back and get one (Sunday)," Vogel said, looking toward a game against the host Phoenix Suns. "I won't disclose what LeBron was like (in the locker room). It's in-house."

James has missed just one game this season, a 123-120 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3 in the final game prior to the All-Star break. He sat out due to a lingering, mild left ankle sprain.

James is averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

-reuters-

NBA: Trae Young's 41 points carry Hawks past Wizards

Trae Young stalled a Washington rally with his fourth 3-pointer of the game and added a fifth shortly thereafter, helping the visiting Atlanta Hawks hold off the Wizards 116-100 on Friday night.

Young went for 41 points in a head-to-head with NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal, propelling the Hawks to a fifth win in their last seven games.

Beal, who began the day with a 35.4-point scoring average, had 26 points for the Wizards, tying Russell Westbrook for team-high honors.

After leading by as many as 23 in the third quarter, the Hawks found themselves in a game after the Wizards ran off 11 straight points to get within 102-92 with still 5:08 remaining. Rui Hachimura had five of the 11 points, including a 3-pointer.

But Young countered with a 3-pointer at the 4:53 mark, then added another 29 seconds later to help the Hawks pull away.

Young finished 10-for-18 from the field, 5-for-9 on 3-pointers and 16-for-17 at the free throw line en route to his second-highest point total of the season. He had a season-high 43 at Minnesota last Friday.

It was his eighth time over 30 points this season.

John Collins chipped in with 17 points, Clint Capela with a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double and Danilo Gallinari with 11 points off the bench for the Hawks, who were coming off a 132-128 overtime loss at home to Brooklyn.

Beal's 26 points left him four shy of a seventh straight game with 30 or more. He shot 10-for-26 overall, but missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

Westbrook bombed in three 3-pointers during his 26-point performance, but the Wizards were outscored 36-21 by the Hawks from beyond the arc.

Garrison Mathews added 10 points off the bench for Washington, which lost its fourth straight in the opener of a three-game homestand.

The Hawks never trailed after a layup by Onyeka Okongwu put them up 18-17 at the 2:52 mark of the first quarter.

Atlanta extended the advantage to as many as nine points in the first quarter, 13 in the second and 23 in the third before the Wizards rallied.

-reuters-

NBA: Tatum scores 28 as Celtics defeat Hawks

Jayson Tatum scored 15 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter as the visiting Boston Celtics took control of the game en route to a 123-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Tatum was 10 for 20 from the field with five 3-pointers and had seven rebounds. He was one of three Celtics in double figures in scoring, joining Gordon Hayward with 24 points and Jaylen Brown with 21. Hayward added seven rebounds and six assists.

The Hawks trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half but pulled to within two on a Kevin Huerter jumper that made the score 103-101. Hayward answered with back-to-back baskets, and Atlanta never got closer than three points.

Atlanta was led by Trae Young with 34 points and seven assists. But Young committed nine turnovers, including one with a minute left when the Hawks were down by four.

The Hawks also got 23 points from Huerter, who made five 3s. John Collins added 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Young injured his ankle on Saturday but was cleared to play on Monday morning. Atlanta was without Cam Reddish (concussion), De'Andre Hunter (left-ankle sprain), Bruno Fernando (left-calf strain), DeAndre Bembry (right-hand neuritis) and Alex Len (right hip flexor strain). The Hawks' lineup was so thin that coach Lloyd Pierce used guard Evan Turner for the first time since Dec. 28.

The Celtics were banged up, too. Kemba Walker missed his second straight game with left-knee soreness and Marcus Smart was out with a right-quad contusion.

The Hawks took a 34-28 lead after the first quarter, thanks to 17 points from Young, who was 4 for 5 on 3-pointers. Atlanta led, 62-60, at halftime when Collins hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. There were 15 lead changes and nine ties in the first half.

Boston led by double digits for the first time when Daniel Theis tipped in a shot with 6:38 left in the third quarter to give the Celtics an 83-72 lead. Boston took a 95-84 lead into the fourth quarter.

Both teams play again on Wednesday. Boston returns home to play Orlando, while Atlanta travels to Minnesota.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Huerter lifts Hawks over Spurs for second straight win

Kevin Huerter poured in the decisive 3-pointer with seven seconds to play and Trae Young scored 31 points as the visiting Atlanta Hawks rallied in the final two minutes to stun the host San Antonio Spurs 121-120 on Friday.

The Spurs led by 11 points after a huge third quarter, but Atlanta clawed back to within 120-118 on a basket by Young with 48 seconds to play, setting up Huerter's game-winner.

DeMar DeRozan had a chance to win the game for San Antonio but he missed a last-second fadeaway jumper, allowing the Hawks to win their second straight game but just their fourth in their past 19 outings.

Cam Reddish added 22 points for Atlanta, with John Collins and Huerter hitting for 18 points each and Vince Carter adding 14. Collins led the Hawks with 10 rebounds, and Young finished with nine assists.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points to lead the Spurs, who lost their second straight and third in their last four.

DeRozan scored 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor to stretch his streak of scoring 20 or more points and shooting 50 percent or better from the floor to 13 straight, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in a row in the last 35 seasons.

Patty Mills scored 15 points and Dejounte Murray added 13 points and 12 rebounds for San Antonio, which also got 10 rebounds from Trey Lyles.

Young paced Atlanta with 19 points in the first half on 7-of- 9 shooting, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers, while Carter and Collins added 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Hawks led 67-58 at halftime.

Aldridge led the Spurs with 14 points in the first half, with DeRozan contributing 10.

The Spurs roared back -- and ran past -- Atlanta in the third quarter, forging a 22-3 run over a 4-and-a-half-minute stretch that ended with a jumper by Lonnie Walker IV at the 2:05 mark of the period.

DeRozan scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in the surge, and Mills added seven of his points as San Antonio posted a 94-79 lead and then a 99-88 advantage heading to the final 12 minutes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers finally put away Hawks for 7th straight win

LeBron James scored 32 points to lead the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-96 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and extend their road winning streak to 14 games.

James made 12 of 21 from the field, four of them 3-pointers, and added 13 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks to help the Lakers extend their overall winning streak to seven.

The Lakers' road winning streak is the longest by the club since they won 18 straight away from home during their NBA record 33-game winning streak in 1972-73. Their only road loss this season was in their own building, when the Clippers were the "home" team at Staples Center, which the teams share.

The Hawks, who lost to the Lakers by 21 last month in Los Angeles, were in the game until the end.

Atlanta got as close as 98-96 when De'Andre Hunter hit a pair of free throws with 19.1 seconds, but James made one of two free throws with 15.2 seconds left to extend the lead to 99-96.

Atlanta rookie Cam Reddish missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 10 seconds remaining, and the Lakers' Danny Green grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws to nail down the win.

The Lakers also got 27 points and 13 rebounds from Anthony Davis, who picked up his 12th double-double. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo both added 11 points.

The Hawks got 30 points from Trae Young, who was 9-for-23 from the field, including three 3-pointers. It was the 13th time Young has scored at least 30 points this season. Atlanta, which has lost four straight, also got 12 points from Jabari Parker.

Atlanta led 25-24 after one quarter, but Los Angeles outscored the Hawks by eight in the second quarter and took a 55-48 halftime lead. The Lakers led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter when JaVale McGee made one of two free throws with 5:40 remaining.

Atlanta lost shooter Kevin Huerter to a left shoulder contusion. It is the same shoulder Huerter injured in Denver on Nov. 12, and his status is day-to-day.

The Lakers play the fourth game of their five-game road trip on Tuesday at Indiana. The Hawks travel to play the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Antetokounmpo's double-double helps Bucks beat Hawks

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 11 rebounds, and paced the visiting Milwaukee Bucks to a 135-127 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

It was the ninth time that Antetokounmpo has had 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game, best in the league. He has accomplished the feat in eight of his last nine games. Antetokounmpo was 12-for-17 from the field, but only 1-for-6 on 3-pointers.

The Bucks have won five straight, nine of their last 10, and completed the road trip with a 3-0 mark. Milwaukee has won eight of its last nine against the Hawks.

Eric Bledsoe added 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Bucks. It fell just short of his season high of 31.

Atlanta tried to rally in the fourth quarter by scoring 44 points. The Hawks used a 13-1 run to cut Milwaukee's lead to 126-119 with 2:10 left on a basket by DeAndre Bembry. But Milwaukee's Sterling Brown emerged from a timeout to hit a 3-pointer and re-establish the double-digit lead. The Hawks never again got closer than seven.

The loss was the fourth straight for Atlanta, which returned home after going 1-4 on a West Coast road trip.

Atlanta was led by rookie De'Andre Hunter, who scored a career-high 27 points -- nine more than his previous best -- and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. He was perfect on three 3-point field goals.

Trae Young added 25 points and eight assists and Cam Reddish scored a career-high 17 points.

Milwaukee wasted an early 10-point lead but led 34-26 after one quarter. Atlanta, behind rookies Hunter and Reddish, paced the Hawks to a 61-58 halftime lead. Milwaukee scored 38 points in the third quarter for a 96-83 lead.

Milwaukee completes a back-to-back at home on Thursday against Portland. Atlanta plays again on Friday when the Hawks face Detroit.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Hawks lose Young to injury, lose game to Heat

In a game marred by an injury to star Atlanta point guard Trae Young, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler defeated the visiting Hawks, 112-97, on Tuesday night.

Atlanta's John Collins led all scorers with 30 points. Miami rookie Tyler Herro had 19 of his 29 points in the second quarter and Butler -- making his Heat debut -- added 21 points. Goran Dragic also had 21 points for Miami.

Young, who entered the game ranked second in the NBA in scoring (34.0) and tied for fifth in assists (9.0), injured his right ankle with 9.57 left in the second quarter and did not return.

After getting tangled up with Justise Winslow, Young left the court in pain and with just five points in 11 minutes. It's the second-lowest scoring total of his pro career.

Shortly after the injury, the Hawks announced Young sustained a sprained right ankle and would not return to the game. ESPN reported that X-rays taken immediately after Young left the court were negative and that the team is optimistic the injury is not serious. According to the report, Young will undergo an MRI exam soon.

Atlanta trailed 36-31 when Young got hurt and couldn't adequately compete without him, scoring a season-low 97 points.

Butler, Miami's biggest offseason acquisition, missed the Heat's first three games following the birth of his daughter. But on the first touch of his Heat career, Butler drove and scored on a layup. He had 12 points 4-for-4 shooting in the first quarter.

Collins, who played his high school ball locally at Cardinal Newman in West Palm Beach, made 10 of 17 shots from the floor, including 5 of his 8 on 3-pointers.

Miami was without forward Derrick Jones (groin injury). Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters, who was suspended by the team for Miami's opener, and forward James Johnson (conditioning) have still not played this season.

The Heat led, 29-26, after the first quarter. Young had the first scoreless quarter of his season, missing his only two shots. Collins kept Atlanta in the game with a 12-point quarter, going 4-for-5 on 3-point shots, but Butler and Dragic (nine points) helped Miami to the lead.

The Heat, using an 11-0 run that began midway through the second quarter, extended their lead to 59-49 at halftime, and stretched it to 88-70 after three quarters.

Atlanta, which never led by more than two points, never got closer than 11 in the fourth quarter.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Hawks, Parker agree to two-year deal

Jabari Parker agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.

Parker, 24, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft but will be starting over with his fourth team.

Injuries have limited Parker to 247 career games -- he suffered torn anterior cruciate ligaments in 2014 and 2017 -- but he holds averages of 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the NBA.

Since being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks out of Duke, Parker started last season with the Chicago Bulls but fell out of favor during a coaching change and was traded to the Washington Wizards. The Wizards declined Parker's $20 million option for 2019-20.

Minutes at the small forward position will not be easy to come by for Parker. 

The Hawks have 2019 lottery picks Cam Reddish and De'Andre Hunter as well as Evan Turner, acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Celtics rides blistering start to easy win over Hawks

Kyrie Irving scored 12 of his 24 points in a 42-point first quarter to spark the Boston Celtics to their eighth straight win, a 129-108 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Irving was 8-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-5 on 3s, with five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The Celtics had two other starters in double figures: Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and Marcus Morris, who was 6-for-8 on 3-pointers and scored 20 points. 

Gordon Hayward added 19 points and five assists and Daniel Theis scored 18, which included two alley-oop dunks.

Irving has shown no lingering effects for the right shoulder soreness that caused him to miss the Dec. 10 game against New Orleans. 

He scored Boston's final 12 points on Wednesday when the game was on the line in Boston's overtime win at Washington. In his last two games, Irving has scored 62 points.

The Hawks got a career-high-matching 19 points from Kevin Huerter for his second straight outing. The rookie from Maryland was 7-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-8 on 3-pointers, with three assists and three steals.

Forward John Collins posted his sixth consecutive double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Kent Bazemore added 13 points and seven assists.

Boston had a 42-19 lead after the first period, but saw it trimmed to 49-45, before recovering to take a 67-46 halftime lead. The Celtics put the game away with a 41-point effort in the third quarter.

Atlanta has dropped two straight and lost six of its last seven.

The Celtics played without ex-Atlanta standout Al Horford (left knee pain), Guerschon Yabusele (right ankle) and Jabari Bird (personal reasons). 

Atlanta native Jaylen Brown was able to play after being listed as questionable with an illness. 

The Hawks were without Taurean Prince (left ankle), Omari Spellman (right hip) and Alex Poythress (left ankle).

It was the second time Boston has beaten Atlanta this season. The two teams meet again on Jan. 19 in Atlanta.

The Celtics complete a back-to-back on Saturday at Detroit. The Hawks play again on Sunday to complete a three-game road trip in Brooklyn.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Curry and Co. help Warriors cruise past Hawks

Golden State's Big Three combined for 85 points and the visiting Warriors broke their two-game losing streak with a 128-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Stephen Curry scored 30, followed by Kevin Durant (28) and Klay Thompson (27) as Golden State (16-9) improved to 5-7 on the road.

Curry, playing in his second game since missing 11 games with an ankle injury, made six 3-pointers and had three assists. Durant was 10-for-13 from the floor and added five rebounds and eight assists. Thompson had three treys and added eight rebounds.

Atlanta (5-19) lost its third straight game as its home record dropped to 3-8. The Hawks were led by John Collins with 24 points, shooting 11-for-14, and 11 rebounds, and rookie Trae Young with 20 points and three assists. Taurean Prince added 14 for the Hawks.

The Warriors jumped out to a 34-17 lead in the first quarter and easily kept the young Hawks at bay. Golden State led by as many as 24 points, although Atlanta trimmed the lead to seven points in the second quarter before the Warriors regained control and led 61-47 at halftime.

The Warriors swept both meetings between the clubs this season. Golden State won 110-103 when it hosted the Hawks on Nov. 13. The Warriors have won their last nine and 14 of their last 15 games against Atlanta. 

The Hawks haven't beaten the Warriors since Feb. 8, 2015.

Neither team was at full strength. Golden State's Draymond Green (right toe sprain) and Alfonzo McKinnie (left foot soreness) missed their ninth straight games.

Atlanta got backup point guard Jeremy Lin back from a left ankle sprain, but he played only 15 minutes and his streak of games with a 3-point basket ended at 13 straight. Lin scored 10 points and missed the only 3-point shot he attempted.

The Hawks play again on Wednesday at home against Washington. The Warriors continue their nine-day, five-city road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook, Thunder too much for Hawks to handle

Russell Westbrook scored 23 points, finishing one rebound short of a second consecutive triple-double, to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 124-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder took control with a 38-point second quarter, with Paul George scoring 13 of his 20 points to help Oklahoma City turn what was a two-point lead into a 20-point cushion by the break.

George hit three of the Thunder's seven second-quarter 3-pointers. Westbrook added 11 points in the frame, hitting two from behind the arc.

Alex Abrines hit a career-high seven 3-pointers, going 7 of 11 from the field with all of his attempts coming from behind the arc to finish with 21 points. Oklahoma City was 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point line, hitting 18 of 41 shots from distance.

Thunder backup point guard Dennis Schroder, playing his first game against the Hawks after spending his first five years in the NBA in Atlanta, had 18 points and eight assists off the bench.

The Thunder's bench scored 49 points.

Westbrook had 10 assists, coming up just shy of breaking a tie with Jason Kidd for third place in triple-doubles in a career.

John Collins and Alex Len scored 19 each to lead the Hawks while Taurean Prince added 15. Rookie point guard Trae Young, in his first NBA game in his home state, was held to nine points on 4-of-15 shooting, missing all three of his 3-point tries.

Collins added 11 rebounds.

It was Oklahoma City's 14th win in 17 games.

Earlier in the day, though, the Thunder got some bad news when it was announced that Andre Roberson, who has been out for 11 months recovering from knee surgery, had suffered a setback.

Roberson appeared close to return but after suffering a fracture in his left knee, will be out for at least an additional six weeks. The injury occurred during a non-contact workout Thursday, the same day Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said that Roberson was progressing toward a return soon.

The Hawks have lost 12 of 14.

source: news.abs-cbn.com