NBA News Wire
Celtics 89, Hawks 88
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
BOSTON — Guard Evan Turner capped a furious Boston comeback with a floater in the lane with two-tenths of a second remaining, giving the Celtics an 89-88 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
After his team called a timeout with 6.4 seconds left, Turner got the ball off the inbounds and hit the shot, giving the Celtics their only lead of the night.
Both teams were playing their final game before the All-Star break.
Down by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Celtics trailed 79-65 in the fourth quarter. They used an 8-0 run to get within striking distance, missed their first chance to take the lead on a shot by guard Avery Bradley, but then came through with the winner.
Turner finished with 12 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Celtics (20-31) earned their fourth win in their last five games.
The Hawks (43-11) fell to 3-3 since winning 19 games in a row. They are sending four players and coach Mike Budenholzer to the All-Star Game in New York.
Forward Jared Sullinger led the Celtics’ charge, keeping his team in the game with 11 points and seven rebounds in the third quarter and converting a tough drive with 1:13 remaining.
Sullinger, who had two points in the first half, finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Marcus Thornton came off the bench to score 14 points, 12 of them on 3-pointers, as the Celtics overcame 24.5 percent shooting in the first half.
Bradley, who shot 4-for-13 from the floor, hit a 3-pointer with 1:39 left and finished with 11 points, as did rookie guard Marcus Smart.
Atlanta center Al Horford, who hit a long set shot to keep his team ahead by three with 1:24 remaining, finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Hawks got 14 points from forward DeMarre Carroll and 10 points and eight assists from guard Jeff Teague.
Horford and Teague are going to the All-Star Game, as are forwards Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver. Millsap had 11 points and seven rebounds Wednesday but was finished 3-for-11 from the floor, while Korver suffered through a 1-of-5 shooting night — all of his shots from 3-point range.
NOTES: Swingman Kyle Korver, selected Tuesday as the Hawks’ fourth All-Star, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday, “It was never my dream to be an All-Star. I just love the game and I love playing.” … Celtics F Kelly Olynyk, who missed his 11th consecutive game due to an ankle sprain, will not play in Friday’s Future Stars Game in New York. Olynyk, picked for Team World, will go to New York for all non-game activities. His absence means the Celtics won’t have a single representative at any of the weekend fun. The hope is he can play when the Celtics resume play after the break on the West Coast. … The Hawks, who are one of the contending teams in the hunt for free agent G Ray Allen, may have cleared a roster spot for Allen by dealing big man Adreian Payne to Minnesota for a lottery-protected first-round draft choice Tuesday.
