Trae Young nailed a last-gasp three-pointer as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 119-117 to keep their Eastern Conference playoff series alive on Tuesday.
Young drained a 29-footer with just 1.8 seconds remaining to silence Boston’s TD Garden and ensure a game six back in Atlanta on Thursday.
Young, who finished with 38 points, 13 assists and four rebounds, said the Hawks had been determined to extend the series following the suspension of key guard Dejounte Murray.
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But a rash foul by Boston’s Marcus Smart presented Young with two more free throws to edge the Hawks into a 116-115 lead. Young then had a nervous moment after conceding a foul on Derrick White, who shot two free throws to put the Celtics 117-116 ahead with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. Young however responded superbly, calmly bringing the ball up court before launching a pullup three-pointer to give Atlanta a 119-117 lead before Boston’s final desperate last attack fizzled. Young’s 38-point tally included 16 in the fourth quarter, while John Collins provided offensive backup with 22 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 18 points. Boston’s scoring was led by Jaylen Brown with 35 points while Jayson Tatum added 19. Four other Boston players finished in double figures. It was the perfect response from Young amid reports the Hawks could look to trade him in the off-season. NUGGETS MOVE ON Meanwhile, the Nuggets sealed their series over the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 thanks to a 112-109 victory. The Timberwolves enjoyed a 17-7 run to start the game as they sought to keep their season alive but the Nuggets grew into the game on the back of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Jokic had a slow start but finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and two blocks, while Jamal Murray had a game-high 35 points, four rebounds and five assists. In a hard-fought clash, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had a look at a game-tying three to send it to overtime but it flashed off the rim. Edwards had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, while Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 15 rebounds. Denver will play the winner of the Clippers-Suns series in the second round of the playoffs. It is the fourth time in five years that the Nuggets have reached the second round. MORE TO COME
