Trae Young scored a three-point basket with 7.4 seconds of overtime remaining to secure the Atlanta Hawks a 134-132 win at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Young was the Hawks’ top scorer, with 31 points and 20 assists, while De’Andre Hunter added 26 off the bench as Atlanta claimed a sixth consecutive victory.
The Lakers fell to a third successive defeat, despite the best efforts of the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer LeBron James, who claimed 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Davis weighed in with 38 points.
James had a chance to win it for the Lakers with the final shot of the game, but his effort at a three-pointer hit the rim of the basket and bounced out.
Reigning NBA champions the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak at home to seven matches with a 111-105 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Celtics trailed by four points late in the fourth quarter but rallied, thanks in part to Jayson Tatum’s game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds.
Damian Lillard’s 31 points had put the Bucks in a winning position, while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 30 points and 11 rebounds.
Elsewhere, Philadelphia 76ers bounced back from a home defeat by the Orlando Magic to win the second game of their two-match series 102-94.
Star player Joel Embiid was missing for the 76ers with a knee injury, but Paul George stepped up to lead the scoring for the hosts with 21 points.
Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a fifth consecutive victory over the Golden State Warriors, scoring 30 points in their 107-90 win in San Francisco, with the two teams set to play each other again on Sunday.
Utah Jazz ended a five-game losing streak with a thumping 141-99 win at Portland Trail Blazers, while Sacramento Kings claimed a similarly conclusive victory at San Antonio Spurs, running out 140-113 winners.
And Tyrese Haliburton scored 23 points for the Indiana Pacers in their 132-123 win at Chicago Bulls as the visitors notched up a first victory in five matches.
BBC
