The National Basketball Association (NBA) has stepped in and cancelled Atlanta Hawks' tribute plans for the city's famed Magic City Strip Club. The decision was announced by the league commissioner Adam Silver in a statement citing concerns by various stakeholders. The Hawks had announced last month that they would celebrate the Magic City Stip Club - “iconic cultural institution” of the city - with a tribute including food, especially with the club’s famous lemon pepper wings, live music performance by Atlanta's native artist T1 and exclusie merchandise as well. The franchise, in a statement of their own, expressed disappointment about NBA decision to call off the celebration.<h2>Why NBA canceled Atlanta Hawks' collaboration with Magic City Strip Club</h2>As soon as the Hawks announced the plan to celebrated the famous club, concerns were raised by many including San Antonio Spurs' Luke Kornet who said the collaboration "would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-training-with-chatgpt-how-artificial-intelligence-helped-ukraine-athlete-maksym-murashkovskyi-win-silver-at-winter-paralympics-1773105709019">'Training with ChatGPT': How Artificial Intelligence helped Ukraine athlete win silver at Winter Paralympics</a>Al Horford, who has played nine seasons with the Hawks in the past, also opined on the matter by captioning his letter with "Well said Luke," to Kornet's post.In a statement issued by the NBA, commissioner Sliver, after discussing the matter with the franchise, said: "While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community."<h2>Why did Hawks choose to pay tribute to a strip club?</h2>The Hawks, while annoucing the plan intially, called the Magic Strip Club an 'iconic cultural institution' of the city. In the past, rappers Drake, Quavo and 2 Chainz have praised the club for its impact on music and celebrity culture. The strip club also has a five-part docuseries that explored exploring its history and impact in Black hip-hop culture. The douseries had Hawks' &nbsp;principal owner Jami Gertz as one of the producers as well."The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture," Gertz had said during the initial announcement. Iconic players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal have also visited the club in the past while Major League Soccer's Atlanta United celebrated its 2018 title at the same place.<h2>What Hawks said after NBA calling off the celebration?</h2>The Hawks expressed their displeaure about the cancellation of the event, scheduled next Monday during the game against Orlanod Magic, in a letter which read: "While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta – with authenticity – in ways that continue to unite and bring us together."

The Hawks called the Magic Strip Club an 'iconic cultural institution' of the city.

NBA says significant concerns raised from a broad array of league stakeholders.

Iconic players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal have also visited the club in the past.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has stepped in and cancelled Atlanta Hawks' tribute plans for the city's famed Magic City Strip Club. The decision was announced by the league commissioner Adam Silver in a statement citing concerns by various stakeholders. The Hawks had announced last month that they would celebrate the Magic City Stip Club - “iconic cultural institution” of the city - with a tribute including food, especially with the club’s famous lemon pepper wings, live music performance by Atlanta's native artist T1 and exclusie merchandise as well. The franchise, in a statement of their own, expressed disappointment about NBA decision to call off the celebration. Why NBA canceled Atlanta Hawks' collaboration with Magic City Strip Club As soon as the Hawks announced the plan to celebrated the famous club, concerns were raised by many including San Antonio Spurs' Luke Kornet who said the collaboration "would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society." Also Read - 'Training with ChatGPT': How Artificial Intelligence helped Ukraine athlete win silver at Winter Paralympics Al Horford, who has played nine seasons with the Hawks in the past, also opined on the matter by captioning his letter with "Well said Luke," to Kornet's post. In a statement issued by the NBA, commissioner Sliver, after discussing the matter with the franchise, said: "While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community." Why did Hawks choose to pay tribute to a strip club? The Hawks, while annoucing the plan intially, called the Magic Strip Club an 'iconic cultural institution' of the city. In the past, rappers Drake, Quavo and 2 Chainz have praised the club for its impact on music and celebrity culture. The strip club also has a five-part docuseries that explored exploring its history and impact in Black hip-hop culture. The douseries had Hawks' principal owner Jami Gertz as one of the producers as well. "The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture," Gertz had said during the initial announcement. Iconic players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal have also visited the club in the past while Major League Soccer's Atlanta United celebrated its 2018 title at the same place. What Hawks said after NBA calling off the celebration? The Hawks expressed their displeaure about the cancellation of the event, scheduled next Monday during the game against Orlanod Magic, in a letter which read: "While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta – with authenticity – in ways that continue to unite and bring us together."

The Hawks called the Magic Strip Club an 'iconic cultural institution' of the city.NBA says significant concerns raised from a broad array of league stakeholders.Iconic players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal have also visited the club in the past.

NBA's Atlanta Hawks wanted to celebrate a STRIP CLUB. Here's what league said about it

Cole Anthony scored 26 points off the bench as the Orlando Magic booked their place in the first round of the NBA playoffs with a 120-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
In the opening game of the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament, Orlando's superior production from the bench proved decisive as the Magic clinched the seventh seed.
<h2>Orlando progress</h2>
Orlando will now play the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs, with game one of their best-of-seven series set for Sunday.
Atlanta, meanwhile, will face the winner of Wednesday's play-in clash between Chicago and Miami on Friday to determine the last remaining Eastern Conference playoff berth.
On Tuesday's evidence, Orlando will head into their meeting with defending champions Boston brimming with confidence after a disciplined performance at both ends of the court.
Anthony and team-mate Anthony Black combined for 42 points, including seven three-pointers to give Orlando the victory.
Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. led the scoring from the Magic starters with 19 points while Paolo Banchero added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
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Franz Wagner finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.
Hawks star Trae Young led the Atlanta scoring with 28 points before being ejected late in the fourth quarter.
After a back-and-forth start to the first quarter in which the lead changed hands six times, Orlando seized control of the contest with an 18-4 run that propelled the Magic into a 32-17 lead heading into the second quarter.
Although Atlanta closed the gap to three points in the third period, a 41-21 Orlando fourth quarter margin closed out a convincing win for the home side.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World | Sports: Cole Anthony scored 26 points off the bench as the Orlando Magic booked their place in the first round of NBA playoffs with a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Cole Anthony scored 26 points off the bench as the Orlando Magic booked their place in the first round of the NBA playoffs with a 120-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. In the opening game of the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament, Orlando's superior production from the bench proved decisive as the Magic clinched the seventh seed. Orlando progress Orlando will now play the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs, with game one of their best-of-seven series set for Sunday. Atlanta, meanwhile, will face the winner of Wednesday's play-in clash between Chicago and Miami on Friday to determine the last remaining Eastern Conference playoff berth. On Tuesday's evidence, Orlando will head into their meeting with defending champions Boston brimming with confidence after a disciplined performance at both ends of the court. Anthony and team-mate Anthony Black combined for 42 points, including seven three-pointers to give Orlando the victory. Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. led the scoring from the Magic starters with 19 points while Paolo Banchero added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. ALSO READ | LA 2028 Games: IOC reveals venue for cricket’s Olympics return Franz Wagner finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Hawks star Trae Young led the Atlanta scoring with 28 points before being ejected late in the fourth quarter. After a back-and-forth start to the first quarter in which the lead changed hands six times, Orlando seized control of the contest with an 18-4 run that propelled the Magic into a 32-17 lead heading into the second quarter. Although Atlanta closed the gap to three points in the third period, a 41-21 Orlando fourth quarter margin closed out a convincing win for the home side. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Anthony, Black help Orlando Magic book place in first round of NBA playoffs with win over Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks, fueled by 22 points and 11 assists from Trae Young, erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 108-100 on Wednesday and book an NBA Cup semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hawks point guard Young, the player Knicks fans have loved to hate since Atlanta's 2021 playoff series triumph over New York, came alive in the second half to get the Hawks offense firing after the Knicks dominated the first half.

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He scored 12 points and handed out nine assists after the break, directing a balanced Hawks attack that was led by 24 points from reserve De'Andre Hunter.

Young found Hunter for an alley-oop dunk that pushed the Hawks' lead to 14 points with 3:01 remaining.

Clint Capella threw down an alley-oop fed by Dyson Daniels and added another seconds later off a pass from Young as the Hawks put the game away.

"It's a big game, especially for us," Young said after the Hawks punched their ticket to the NBA Cup final four in Las Vegas. "We knew what the stakes were coming into this game, and we also knew the odds coming into this game, too.

"We just try to play for each other and play til the end, and that's what we did."

The Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers -- currently leading the Eastern Conference -- and the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics to win their Cup group.

But they couldn't get their offense firing early against a Knicks team that were an unbeaten 4-0 in group play and had won five of their last six games.

Atlanta seized their first lead of the game, 68-66, on Young's three-pointer with 5:43 left in the third -- part of an 11-0 scoring run that put the Hawks on top for good.

Josh Hart led the Knicks with 21 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes, and Mikal Bridges added another 19 for New York, who failed to respond when Atlanta stepped up the pace in the second half.

Atlanta will play Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks in the semi-finals on Saturday in Vegas, where the final will be held on Tuesday.

Later Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors were trying to extend their dominance over the Houston Rockets in the last Cup quarter-final, with the winner advancing to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Warriors have beaten the Rockets in their last 15 encounters, a streak dating back to February 2020.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The Atlanta Hawks, fueled by 22 points and 11 assists from Trae Young, erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 108-100 on Wednesday and book an NBA Cup semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Atlanta Hawks, fueled by 22 points and 11 assists from Trae Young, erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the New York Knicks 108-100 on Wednesday and book an NBA Cup semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks. Hawks point guard Young, the player Knicks fans have loved to hate since Atlanta's 2021 playoff series triumph over New York, came alive in the second half to get the Hawks offense firing after the Knicks dominated the first half. ALSO READ: Champions League: Ferran Torres hits brace in Dortmund win as Barcelona cruises into knockouts He scored 12 points and handed out nine assists after the break, directing a balanced Hawks attack that was led by 24 points from reserve De'Andre Hunter. Young found Hunter for an alley-oop dunk that pushed the Hawks' lead to 14 points with 3:01 remaining. Clint Capella threw down an alley-oop fed by Dyson Daniels and added another seconds later off a pass from Young as the Hawks put the game away. "It's a big game, especially for us," Young said after the Hawks punched their ticket to the NBA Cup final four in Las Vegas. "We knew what the stakes were coming into this game, and we also knew the odds coming into this game, too. "We just try to play for each other and play til the end, and that's what we did." The Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers -- currently leading the Eastern Conference -- and the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics to win their Cup group. But they couldn't get their offense firing early against a Knicks team that were an unbeaten 4-0 in group play and had won five of their last six games. Atlanta seized their first lead of the game, 68-66, on Young's three-pointer with 5:43 left in the third -- part of an 11-0 scoring run that put the Hawks on top for good. Josh Hart led the Knicks with 21 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes, and Mikal Bridges added another 19 for New York, who failed to respond when Atlanta stepped up the pace in the second half. Atlanta will play Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks in the semi-finals on Saturday in Vegas, where the final will be held on Tuesday. Later Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors were trying to extend their dominance over the Houston Rockets in the last Cup quarter-final, with the winner advancing to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors have beaten the Rockets in their last 15 encounters, a streak dating back to February 2020. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Atlanta Hawks comes from behind to beat New York Knicks to reach NBA Cup semis

Miami guard Tyler Herro starred as the Heat humbled LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93 on Wednesday, leaving the Lakers looking for answers after their biggest defeat of the NBA season. Herro scored 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter and finished with nine of the Heat's franchise record-equalling 24 three-pointers. Jimmy Butler added 17 points and Bam Adebayo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who set a franchise record with 42 assists as they kept their offense firing against the lethargic Lakers.

The Heat were already up by 17 at halftime, but Herro erupted in the third quarter, draining seven three-pointers to match the Heat record for most in a period.

"We came into this game with great energy, and you see what happened," Adebayo said. The Lakers, coming off a 29-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, looked listless on both ends of the floor.

"I'm embarrassed, we're all embarrassed," Lakers first-year coach JJ Redick said. "It's not a game where we had the right fight, the right professionalism. "There has to be some ownership," he added. "I own this, but there's going to have to be some ownership on the court."

There were encouraging signs for James, who came in mired in a shooting slump and scored a team-high 29 points on efficient 12 of 18 shooting. The league's all-time leading scorer also ended his streak of four straight games without a three-pointer, making one of his four attempts from beyond the arc.

That trey was the 2,451st of his career, passing Kyle Korver for seventh on the league's all-time list. That will be little consolation now that the Lakers have lost six of their last eight games.

Redick said the Lakers are struggling on both ends with "base level game plan stuff." But a frustrated James said it wasn't a matter of the game plan. "If you don't want to come to compete ... that's other issues," he said.

On Friday the Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks, who snapped the Bucks' seven-game winning streak with a 119-104 victory in Milwaukee. Jalen Johnson scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Atlanta and De'Andre Hunter added 20 points off the bench as the Hawks notched their fifth straight victory. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and teammate Damian Lillard added 25, but Milwaukee couldn't build on an early 10-point advantage.

The Hawks took the lead late in the first quarter and never trailed again.

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<h2>- Celtics beat Pistons -</h2>

The NBA champion Boston Celtics shrugged off the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum, leading by as many as 20 points in a 130-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons. With Tatum and Jrue Holiday sidelined with knee injuries, Jaylen Brown stepped up and led the Celtics with 28 points and nine assists.

Brown scored 23 points in the first half to put Boston on the road to victory, and the Celtics weathered a late Pistons surge to complete the wire-to-wire victory. Kristaps Porzingis, still getting back to form after returning from ankle surgery in November, scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots for Boston.

Cade Cunningham had a near triple-double of 27 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists and Tobias Harris added another 27 points for Detroit. The Orlando Magic bounced back from a blowout loss to the New York Knicks with a 106-102 victory over the injury-depleted 76ers in Philadelphia.

The Sixers, with Paul George and star center Joel Embiid both sidelined, cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to one with 22.3 seconds remaining, but the Magic closed it out with free throws from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Wagner scored 35 points to lead the Magic while rookie Jared McCain's 24 led the 76ers.

On the heels of their Monday win over the Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves posted another big win in Los Angeles, thrashing the Clippers 108-80.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Miami guard Tyler Herro starred as the Heat humbled LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93 on Wednesday, leaving the Lakers looking for answers after their biggest defeat of the NBA season.

Miami guard Tyler Herro starred as the Heat humbled LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-93 on Wednesday, leaving the Lakers looking for answers after their biggest defeat of the NBA season. Herro scored 21 of his 31 points in the third quarter and finished with nine of the Heat's franchise record-equalling 24 three-pointers. Jimmy Butler added 17 points and Bam Adebayo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who set a franchise record with 42 assists as they kept their offense firing against the lethargic Lakers. The Heat were already up by 17 at halftime, but Herro erupted in the third quarter, draining seven three-pointers to match the Heat record for most in a period. "We came into this game with great energy, and you see what happened," Adebayo said. The Lakers, coming off a 29-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, looked listless on both ends of the floor. "I'm embarrassed, we're all embarrassed," Lakers first-year coach JJ Redick said. "It's not a game where we had the right fight, the right professionalism. "There has to be some ownership," he added. "I own this, but there's going to have to be some ownership on the court." There were encouraging signs for James, who came in mired in a shooting slump and scored a team-high 29 points on efficient 12 of 18 shooting. The league's all-time leading scorer also ended his streak of four straight games without a three-pointer, making one of his four attempts from beyond the arc. That trey was the 2,451st of his career, passing Kyle Korver for seventh on the league's all-time list. That will be little consolation now that the Lakers have lost six of their last eight games. Redick said the Lakers are struggling on both ends with "base level game plan stuff." But a frustrated James said it wasn't a matter of the game plan. "If you don't want to come to compete ... that's other issues," he said. On Friday the Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks, who snapped the Bucks' seven-game winning streak with a 119-104 victory in Milwaukee. Jalen Johnson scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Atlanta and De'Andre Hunter added 20 points off the bench as the Hawks notched their fifth straight victory. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and teammate Damian Lillard added 25, but Milwaukee couldn't build on an early 10-point advantage. The Hawks took the lead late in the first quarter and never trailed again. Also read: La Liga: Kylian Mbappe admits penalty miss 'big mistake' as Athletic Bilbao beat Real Madrid - Celtics beat Pistons - The NBA champion Boston Celtics shrugged off the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum, leading by as many as 20 points in a 130-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons. With Tatum and Jrue Holiday sidelined with knee injuries, Jaylen Brown stepped up and led the Celtics with 28 points and nine assists. Brown scored 23 points in the first half to put Boston on the road to victory, and the Celtics weathered a late Pistons surge to complete the wire-to-wire victory. Kristaps Porzingis, still getting back to form after returning from ankle surgery in November, scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots for Boston. Cade Cunningham had a near triple-double of 27 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists and Tobias Harris added another 27 points for Detroit. The Orlando Magic bounced back from a blowout loss to the New York Knicks with a 106-102 victory over the injury-depleted 76ers in Philadelphia. The Sixers, with Paul George and star center Joel Embiid both sidelined, cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to one with 22.3 seconds remaining, but the Magic closed it out with free throws from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Wagner scored 35 points to lead the Magic while rookie Jared McCain's 24 led the 76ers. On the heels of their Monday win over the Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves posted another big win in Los Angeles, thrashing the Clippers 108-80. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Miami Heat embarrass LA Lakers, Atlanta Hawks end Milwaukee Bucks' winning streak

Eastern Conference leaders the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their first home loss of the season with a surprise 135-124 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Cleveland's second loss of the season came afer a strong second half display from Atlanta with De'Andre Hunter scoring 26 points off the bench, Jalen Johnson adding 22 points and Trae Young contributing 20 with a career-high 22 assists.

Young put the game beyond the Cavs with a 39-foot three pointer to make it 129-122 with 1:43 remaining just moments after he had turned the ball over. Johnson said Young's assists had been crucial to the victory and that he deserved more credit for his role on the team. "He was really getting off the ball and finding everyone... a lot of people don't necessarily talk about him even though he's leading the league in assists, but they don't talk about him as the playmaker," Johnson said.

The win moves the Hawks to 8-11 on the season and Young said the team had shown what they were capable of. "They are a really good team who have been playing well all year and I feel we have been a little inconsistent but the times that we have played well, we've played really well," he said.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 for Cleveland and Evan Mobley put up 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the Cavs missed out on a chance to become the first team to start with an 18-1 record. Serbian Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a convincing 122-103 win at the Utah Jazz with 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Denver had come back from an early 12-point deficit with a 21-4 run midway through the game turning the contest in their direction. The Houston Rockets needed overtime to beat the 3-14 Philadelphia 76ers, with Alperen Sengun scoring 22 points and claiming 14 rebounds and seven assists.

Half of Turkish center Sengun's points came in overtime where the Rockets made sure of moving to 14-6. "My teammates trusted me in overtime and I didn't want to fail them," Sengun said. "It was ugly but a win is a win in the NBA."

James Harden scored 43 points for the Los Angeles Clippers as they beat the struggling Washington Wizards 121-96. Harden scored 23 of his points in the first quarter and left the game late in the third quarter with the Wizards already condemned to their 13th straight defeat.

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"We have to continue to find ways to win," said Harden of the 12-8 Clippers. "Defensively we need to do a lot better, sometimes we get a little too comfortable... we just need to continue to get better as a unit."

The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets 98-94, with Tyler Herro scoring 27 points and Duncan Robinson draining six 3-pointers in the win. "He's a shot-maker, he's not afraid of the moment," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro.

Bam Adebayo claimed 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat while LaMelo Ball had 32 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte.

Miami's star Jimmy Butler left the game in the third quarter with a tight back and did not return. The Hornets were closing in on the lead but Herro made a 29-foot 3-pointer and then grabbed Ball's attempted pass to Brandon Miller for the crucial turnover.

Led by Anthony Davis with 19 points and 14 rebounds, the Los Angeles Lakers ended the San Antonio Spurs four-game winning streak with a 119-101 victory. LeBron James helped with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while France's Victor Wembanyama top scored for the Spurs with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite being without injured Slovenian star Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks had a comfortable 129-114 win over the New York Knicks with Kyrie Irving scoring 23 points.

Dennis Schroder top scored with 29 points as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Phoenix Suns 127-117. Kevin Durant put up 30 points and 8 rebounds for the Arizona team.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Eastern Conference leaders the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their first home loss of the season with a surprise 135-124 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Eastern Conference leaders the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their first home loss of the season with a surprise 135-124 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Cleveland's second loss of the season came afer a strong second half display from Atlanta with De'Andre Hunter scoring 26 points off the bench, Jalen Johnson adding 22 points and Trae Young contributing 20 with a career-high 22 assists. Young put the game beyond the Cavs with a 39-foot three pointer to make it 129-122 with 1:43 remaining just moments after he had turned the ball over. Johnson said Young's assists had been crucial to the victory and that he deserved more credit for his role on the team. "He was really getting off the ball and finding everyone... a lot of people don't necessarily talk about him even though he's leading the league in assists, but they don't talk about him as the playmaker," Johnson said. The win moves the Hawks to 8-11 on the season and Young said the team had shown what they were capable of. "They are a really good team who have been playing well all year and I feel we have been a little inconsistent but the times that we have played well, we've played really well," he said. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 for Cleveland and Evan Mobley put up 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the Cavs missed out on a chance to become the first team to start with an 18-1 record. Serbian Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a convincing 122-103 win at the Utah Jazz with 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Denver had come back from an early 12-point deficit with a 21-4 run midway through the game turning the contest in their direction. The Houston Rockets needed overtime to beat the 3-14 Philadelphia 76ers, with Alperen Sengun scoring 22 points and claiming 14 rebounds and seven assists. Half of Turkish center Sengun's points came in overtime where the Rockets made sure of moving to 14-6. "My teammates trusted me in overtime and I didn't want to fail them," Sengun said. "It was ugly but a win is a win in the NBA." James Harden scored 43 points for the Los Angeles Clippers as they beat the struggling Washington Wizards 121-96. Harden scored 23 of his points in the first quarter and left the game late in the third quarter with the Wizards already condemned to their 13th straight defeat. Also read: Perfect Liverpool on top of Champions League with win over Real Madrid, Dortmund also among winners "We have to continue to find ways to win," said Harden of the 12-8 Clippers. "Defensively we need to do a lot better, sometimes we get a little too comfortable... we just need to continue to get better as a unit." The Miami Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets 98-94, with Tyler Herro scoring 27 points and Duncan Robinson draining six 3-pointers in the win. "He's a shot-maker, he's not afraid of the moment," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro. Bam Adebayo claimed 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat while LaMelo Ball had 32 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte. Miami's star Jimmy Butler left the game in the third quarter with a tight back and did not return. The Hornets were closing in on the lead but Herro made a 29-foot 3-pointer and then grabbed Ball's attempted pass to Brandon Miller for the crucial turnover. Led by Anthony Davis with 19 points and 14 rebounds, the Los Angeles Lakers ended the San Antonio Spurs four-game winning streak with a 119-101 victory. LeBron James helped with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while France's Victor Wembanyama top scored for the Spurs with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Despite being without injured Slovenian star Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks had a comfortable 129-114 win over the New York Knicks with Kyrie Irving scoring 23 points. Dennis Schroder top scored with 29 points as the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Phoenix Suns 127-117. Kevin Durant put up 30 points and 8 rebounds for the Arizona team. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Trae Young inspires Atlanta Hawks to 135-124 win over Cleveland Cavaliers

Luka Doncic matched the fourth-highest scoring performance in NBA history Friday, pouring in 73 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

A masterful individual performance saw the Slovenian star set a Mavs record with 41 first-half points, with the scorching run continuing in the second half as Dallas kept the determined Hawks at bay.

Doncic added 10 rebounds and seven assists. He connected on 25 of 33 shots from the floor -- including eight three-pointers -- and made 15 of his 16 free throws.

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"I was just going, you know, whatever the defense give me," Doncic said. "In the second half they doubled me all the time so I tried to make some plays."

His sensational performance spoiled the return of Trae Young, who led the Hawks with 30 points after missing two games in concussion protocol.

Doncic's franchise-record effort pushed him into elite NBA territory. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have scored more points in a game, Chamberlain with the league record 100 in 1962 and Bryant with 81 in 2006.

Chamberlain also owns a 78-point performance and two of 73 -- a number also reached by David Thompson and, now, Doncic.

"It's beautiful," Doncic said. "I'm glad we got a win."

The Hawks had pulled within three points with less than two minutes to play, but Doncic drove for a layup, drew a foul and converted the free throw to help push the lead back to seven with 58 seconds left.

A Young basket cut the deficit to three with 10 seconds to play, but Tim Hardaway Jr. made a pair of free throws to seal it for the Mavs, who were without injured Kyrie Irving.

Doncic's 25 baskets were a career high and he crushed his own franchise record of 60 points, set against the New York Knicks on December 27, 2022.

Doncic's effort came less than a week after Joel Embiid poured in 70 in a Philadelphia 76ers win over San Antonio -- and it wasn't the only eye-popping outburst of the night.

Phoenix guard Devin Booker's 62-point performance, however, came in a losing effort as the Indiana Pacers triumphed 133-131 to halt the Suns' seven-game winning streak.

Booker broke his own Suns record for points in a quarter with 29 in the first.

They led by as many as 17 but the Pacers had tied it up with less than a minute to play and Obi Toppin's putback basket off a Pascal Siakam miss sealed the victory as Booker couldn't get his three-pointer to fall as time expired.

It was Booker's second game this season of 50 or more points after a 52-point showing against New Orleans earlier this month. He had a career-high 70 against Boston in 2017.

Siakam scored 31 points, leading six Pacers players in double figures as Indiana notched a second straight win.

Luka Doncic matched the fourth-highest scoring performance in NBA history Friday, pouring in 73 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Luka Doncic matched the fourth-highest scoring performance in NBA history Friday, pouring in 73 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. A masterful individual performance saw the Slovenian star set a Mavs record with 41 first-half points, with the scorching run continuing in the second half as Dallas kept the determined Hawks at bay. Doncic added 10 rebounds and seven assists. He connected on 25 of 33 shots from the floor -- including eight three-pointers -- and made 15 of his 16 free throws. Also Read: Luis Rubiales' three-year ban for World Cup kiss confirmed by FIFA "I was just going, you know, whatever the defense give me," Doncic said. "In the second half they doubled me all the time so I tried to make some plays." His sensational performance spoiled the return of Trae Young, who led the Hawks with 30 points after missing two games in concussion protocol. Doncic's franchise-record effort pushed him into elite NBA territory. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant have scored more points in a game, Chamberlain with the league record 100 in 1962 and Bryant with 81 in 2006. Chamberlain also owns a 78-point performance and two of 73 -- a number also reached by David Thompson and, now, Doncic. "It's beautiful," Doncic said. "I'm glad we got a win." The Hawks had pulled within three points with less than two minutes to play, but Doncic drove for a layup, drew a foul and converted the free throw to help push the lead back to seven with 58 seconds left. A Young basket cut the deficit to three with 10 seconds to play, but Tim Hardaway Jr. made a pair of free throws to seal it for the Mavs, who were without injured Kyrie Irving. Doncic's 25 baskets were a career high and he crushed his own franchise record of 60 points, set against the New York Knicks on December 27, 2022. Doncic's effort came less than a week after Joel Embiid poured in 70 in a Philadelphia 76ers win over San Antonio -- and it wasn't the only eye-popping outburst of the night. Phoenix guard Devin Booker's 62-point performance, however, came in a losing effort as the Indiana Pacers triumphed 133-131 to halt the Suns' seven-game winning streak. Booker broke his own Suns record for points in a quarter with 29 in the first. They led by as many as 17 but the Pacers had tied it up with less than a minute to play and Obi Toppin's putback basket off a Pascal Siakam miss sealed the victory as Booker couldn't get his three-pointer to fall as time expired. It was Booker's second game this season of 50 or more points after a 52-point showing against New Orleans earlier this month. He had a career-high 70 against Boston in 2017. Siakam scored 31 points, leading six Pacers players in double figures as Indiana notched a second straight win.

Luka Doncic drops record 73 points in Dallas Mavericks' win over Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected from the game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday (Dec. 11) for arguing with the referees. Thee incident happened in the third quarter after the referees handed Young his second technical foul with 24 seconds remaining on the clock.

The whole thing started when Young tried to score on a floater shot but had some contact with Nuggets defender Peyton Watson. The refs decided it wasn't a foul and the play continued. Young got agitated when Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic a few seconds later. Afterwards, Nuggets guard Christian Braun sent down a pair of free throws with under 30 seconds left in the quarter and Young had a strong opinion about the second of those free throws.

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The All-Star got into it with referee Brent Haskill with incessant clapping and was given a technical foul. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder also joined the chorus and was given a technical too. Have a look at the entire sequence below:

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Trae Young ejected 😳 <a href="https://t.co/m9IbQ0BVh5">pic.twitter.com/m9IbQ0BVh5</a>
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The Hawks were trailing 99-86 at the time when Young was ejected and eventually lost the game 129-122 in the East-West clash. He managed 19 points, 9 assists, and 5 turnovers before being ousted for the rest of the game.

The Hawks had started well, scoring 36 points against the Nuggets' 28 in the first 12 minutes. Denver bounced back in the second quarter with 37 points of their own as Atlanta could manage only 26.

The Hawks went into the halftime with a three-point deficit which got extended to 17 points by the end of the third quarter as Denver scored 38 against Atlanta's 24. The Hawks went into beast mode in the final 12 minutes and scored 36 points but they could erase only 10 points of the deficit as the Nuggets scored 26 and won the game.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected from the game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday (Dec. 11) for arguing with the referees. Thee incident happened in the third quarter after the referees handed Young his second technical foul with 24 seconds remaining on the clock.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected from the game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday (Dec. 11) for arguing with the referees. Thee incident happened in the third quarter after the referees handed Young his second technical foul with 24 seconds remaining on the clock. The whole thing started when Young tried to score on a floater shot but had some contact with Nuggets defender Peyton Watson. The refs decided it wasn't a foul and the play continued. Young got agitated when Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic a few seconds later. Afterwards, Nuggets guard Christian Braun sent down a pair of free throws with under 30 seconds left in the quarter and Young had a strong opinion about the second of those free throws. Also Read: LA Chargers QB Justin Herbert likely to miss game versus Las Vegas Raiders The All-Star got into it with referee Brent Haskill with incessant clapping and was given a technical foul. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder also joined the chorus and was given a technical too. Have a look at the entire sequence below: Trae Young ejected 😳 pic.twitter.com/m9IbQ0BVh5 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 12, 2023 × The Hawks were trailing 99-86 at the time when Young was ejected and eventually lost the game 129-122 in the East-West clash. He managed 19 points, 9 assists, and 5 turnovers before being ousted for the rest of the game. The Hawks had started well, scoring 36 points against the Nuggets' 28 in the first 12 minutes. Denver bounced back in the second quarter with 37 points of their own as Atlanta could manage only 26. The Hawks went into the halftime with a three-point deficit which got extended to 17 points by the end of the third quarter as Denver scored 38 against Atlanta's 24. The Hawks went into beast mode in the final 12 minutes and scored 36 points but they could erase only 10 points of the deficit as the Nuggets scored 26 and won the game.

VIDEO | Hawks' ice-cool Trae Young gets ejection vs Denver after arguing with referees

The Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 in a rollicking NBA shootout on Tuesday to become the first team to reach the knockout stage of the league's new in-season tournament. Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, who said this week the new tournament gave "more juice" to early-season games, scored 22 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Pacers erased a 20-point first-half deficit.

In the fourth quarter it was Buddy Hield who stepped up, scoring 13 of his 24 points as the Pacers came out on top of a furious back-and-forth finish. "It's good to clinch," Haliburton -- who also handed out 16 assists -- said after the Pacers improved to 3-0 in tournament play and locked up first place in East's Group A. "Buddy won us the game down the stretch, a lot of big buckets."

Hield's three-pointer put Indiana up 152-150 with 1:20 remaining. After Saddiq Bey pulled Atlanta level with a layup, Hield drained another three-pointer for a 155-152 Pacers lead with less than a minute to go. Hield capped the outrageous scoring with an alley-oop dunk with five-tenths of a second remaining.

Hield connected on nine of 11 from the field and made all six of his three-point attempts. Obi Toppin scored 21 points off the bench for Indiana and Bennedict Mathurin added 19. Trae Young scored 38 points to lead the Hawks, who led by 20 in the second quarter. In later games, the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to punch their ticket to the knockout rounds, and claim home court advantage in the quarter-finals, with a victory over the Utah Jazz.

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A road win for the Jazz, coupled with a loss for Phoenix against Portland, would see Utah advance. The quarter-finals will be played December 4-5, with winners advancing to semi-final games on December 7 and a championship match on December 9 in Las Vegas.

It was a tight finish in Philadelphia, where Darius Garland scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-119 overtime victory over the 76ers that kept alive the Cavs' hopes of advancing in the tournament via a wild card berth. Jarrett Allen scored 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds while Max Strus made five three-pointers on the way to 20 points for the Cavs, who came through despite again playing without injured Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points for Philadelphia, but the 76ers were eliminated from tournament contention.

The Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 in a rollicking NBA shootout on Tuesday to become the first team to reach the knockout stage of the league's new in-season tournament.

The Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157-152 in a rollicking NBA shootout on Tuesday to become the first team to reach the knockout stage of the league's new in-season tournament. Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, who said this week the new tournament gave "more juice" to early-season games, scored 22 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Pacers erased a 20-point first-half deficit. In the fourth quarter it was Buddy Hield who stepped up, scoring 13 of his 24 points as the Pacers came out on top of a furious back-and-forth finish. "It's good to clinch," Haliburton -- who also handed out 16 assists -- said after the Pacers improved to 3-0 in tournament play and locked up first place in East's Group A. "Buddy won us the game down the stretch, a lot of big buckets." Hield's three-pointer put Indiana up 152-150 with 1:20 remaining. After Saddiq Bey pulled Atlanta level with a layup, Hield drained another three-pointer for a 155-152 Pacers lead with less than a minute to go. Hield capped the outrageous scoring with an alley-oop dunk with five-tenths of a second remaining. Hield connected on nine of 11 from the field and made all six of his three-point attempts. Obi Toppin scored 21 points off the bench for Indiana and Bennedict Mathurin added 19. Trae Young scored 38 points to lead the Hawks, who led by 20 in the second quarter. In later games, the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to punch their ticket to the knockout rounds, and claim home court advantage in the quarter-finals, with a victory over the Utah Jazz. Also Read: WATCH | LeBron 360 layup in Lakers vs Rockets sends internet in frenzy A road win for the Jazz, coupled with a loss for Phoenix against Portland, would see Utah advance. The quarter-finals will be played December 4-5, with winners advancing to semi-final games on December 7 and a championship match on December 9 in Las Vegas. It was a tight finish in Philadelphia, where Darius Garland scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-119 overtime victory over the 76ers that kept alive the Cavs' hopes of advancing in the tournament via a wild card berth. Jarrett Allen scored 26 points and pulled down 13 rebounds while Max Strus made five three-pointers on the way to 20 points for the Cavs, who came through despite again playing without injured Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey added 30 points for Philadelphia, but the 76ers were eliminated from tournament contention.

Indiana Pacers defeat Atlanta Hawks, become first team to reach knockout stage of NBA's new tournament

In a blockbuster move, the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz are getting together for a deal involving Hawks forward John Collins. The deal, which will bring a lot of financial flexibility to the Hawks, was first reported by ESPN on Monday citing sources.

The Hawks owe Collins a whooping $78 million over the next three seasons but the deal will see them creating a $25.3 million exception. It would be the largest exception in the National Basketball Association (NBA) once the deal gets materialized. While the deal cannot become official before July 6, as per ESPN, the Hawks will also have one year to use the money on a player's contract.

The Hawks will also acquire forward Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick from the Jazz.

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For the Jazz, this trade could become one of the best things ever to have happened. Collins, once in Utah, will join the line-up which already has All-Star Lauri Markkanen and All-Rookie Walker Kessler. The Jazz also picked up power forward Taylor Hendricks in the recently-concluded NBA Draft from Central Florida. All things considered, Collins' arrival will definitely be a big push to Jazz's offense.

Speaking about the numbers, the 19th overall pick of 2017, &nbsp;Collins has become one of the efficient forwards of the the Eastern Conference. &nbsp;The 2022-23 season saw him scoring 13.1 point on an average per game alongside averaging 6.5 rebounds as well.&nbsp;

Collins has played six seasons with the Hawks after making his debut in 2017. Overall, Collins averages 15.8 points and 8 rebounds per game in his 364 games. His best season, however, came in 2019-20 for the Hawks when he averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.&nbsp;

As per ESPN Stat research, Collins is just one of the five players in the league to average 15 points on 55%-plus shooting since 2017. The other players on this list are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas and Nokial Jokic.

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In a blockbuster move, the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz are getting together for a deal involving Hawks forward John Collins. The deal, which will bring a lot of financial flexibility to the Hawks, was first reported by ESPN on Monday citing sources.

In a blockbuster move, the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz are getting together for a deal involving Hawks forward John Collins. The deal, which will bring a lot of financial flexibility to the Hawks, was first reported by ESPN on Monday citing sources. The Hawks owe Collins a whooping $78 million over the next three seasons but the deal will see them creating a $25.3 million exception. It would be the largest exception in the National Basketball Association (NBA) once the deal gets materialized. While the deal cannot become official before July 6, as per ESPN, the Hawks will also have one year to use the money on a player's contract. The Hawks will also acquire forward Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick from the Jazz. Also Read: Spurs' no. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama feeling 'comfortable' in San Antonio For the Jazz, this trade could become one of the best things ever to have happened. Collins, once in Utah, will join the line-up which already has All-Star Lauri Markkanen and All-Rookie Walker Kessler. The Jazz also picked up power forward Taylor Hendricks in the recently-concluded NBA Draft from Central Florida. All things considered, Collins' arrival will definitely be a big push to Jazz's offense. Speaking about the numbers, the 19th overall pick of 2017, Collins has become one of the efficient forwards of the the Eastern Conference. The 2022-23 season saw him scoring 13.1 point on an average per game alongside averaging 6.5 rebounds as well. Collins has played six seasons with the Hawks after making his debut in 2017. Overall, Collins averages 15.8 points and 8 rebounds per game in his 364 games. His best season, however, came in 2019-20 for the Hawks when he averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. As per ESPN Stat research, Collins is just one of the five players in the league to average 15 points on 55%-plus shooting since 2017. The other players on this list are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas and Nokial Jokic. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Utah Jazz set to acquire Hawks forward John Collins - Report

Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series. The final scores were 119-117 in Atlanta's favour and the series stands at 3-2, advantage Boston.

As for the shot, the clock had seven something left until the game got over and Boston got through the semis. Young, meanwhile, got the ball, he dribbled a bit, moved up court, faked to move further and then took a step back to drain a three, leaving TD Garden stunned in silence. Have a look at the shot here:

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WHO ELSE <a href="https://t.co/SO7yyxZ0jw">pic.twitter.com/SO7yyxZ0jw</a>
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As for the rest of the game, Atlanta knew they had to win at all cost to keep the series alive and they came out all guns blazing against the Celtics. The Hawks soared high over Boston as they took a three-point in the first quarter with the box score reading 30-27 in their favour.

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The flight was a short lived one though as Boston took the Hawks down in the second quarter, scoring 39 against Atlanta's 28. In the third quarter, the scoreboard battle was on throughout the entire span but Boston managed to steal two points more than Atlanta's 24.&nbsp;

Come last quarter, the Hawks went wild and picked on the Celtics at will, scoring 37 points against Boston's 25 and won the game 119-117. Talking about the individual performances, Jaylen Brown scored 35 for Boston while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White managed 19 and 18, respectively which clearly were less then the requirement.

As for the Hawks, Trae Young scored a double-double of 38 points and 13 assists while John Collins managed 22 in Atlanta's thrilling win.

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Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series.

Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series. The final scores were 119-117 in Atlanta's favour and the series stands at 3-2, advantage Boston. As for the shot, the clock had seven something left until the game got over and Boston got through the semis. Young, meanwhile, got the ball, he dribbled a bit, moved up court, faked to move further and then took a step back to drain a three, leaving TD Garden stunned in silence. Have a look at the shot here: WHO ELSE pic.twitter.com/SO7yyxZ0jw — Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 26, 2023 × As for the rest of the game, Atlanta knew they had to win at all cost to keep the series alive and they came out all guns blazing against the Celtics. The Hawks soared high over Boston as they took a three-point in the first quarter with the box score reading 30-27 in their favour. Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2023: Nuggets vs Timberwolves, Suns vs Clippers Game 5 score, result, highlights and more The flight was a short lived one though as Boston took the Hawks down in the second quarter, scoring 39 against Atlanta's 28. In the third quarter, the scoreboard battle was on throughout the entire span but Boston managed to steal two points more than Atlanta's 24. Come last quarter, the Hawks went wild and picked on the Celtics at will, scoring 37 points against Boston's 25 and won the game 119-117. Talking about the individual performances, Jaylen Brown scored 35 for Boston while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White managed 19 and 18, respectively which clearly were less then the requirement. As for the Hawks, Trae Young scored a double-double of 38 points and 13 assists while John Collins managed 22 in Atlanta's thrilling win. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Hawks' Trae Young drains game-winning three-pointer against Celtics in Game 5 - WATCH

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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Murray was suspended after a clash with a referee after game four on Sunday.

"We were missing a big piece of ours and we want him to play game six, so we want to go back home and have him with us," Young said of Murray.

"I didn't feel there was any pressure on me. Obviously we were without (Murray) but we all had to step our game up another level -- not just me, we all did tonight. Total team win."

The Celtics, leading the series 3-1, had looked to be cruising to victory after dominating for most of the second half to lead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter.

But with Boston poised to wrap up a 4-1 series victory, Young and the Hawks took over with a startling late rally in the closing minutes that whittled away the Celtics lead.

Young nailed back-to-back three-pointers to level the scores at 111-111 with 2:42 remaining and then hit three free throws to help Atlanta take a 114-113 lead.

Robert Williams handed Boston a one-point advantage to make it 115-114 to the Celtics with 25.6 seconds left on the clock.

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.&nbsp;

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.

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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.

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. Also Read: Kyle Anderson on verge of being naturalised to represent China at FIBA basketball WC Murray was suspended after a clash with a referee after game four on Sunday. "We were missing a big piece of ours and we want him to play game six, so we want to go back home and have him with us," Young said of Murray. "I didn't feel there was any pressure on me. Obviously we were without (Murray) but we all had to step our game up another level -- not just me, we all did tonight. Total team win." The Celtics, leading the series 3-1, had looked to be cruising to victory after dominating for most of the second half to lead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter. But with Boston poised to wrap up a 4-1 series victory, Young and the Hawks took over with a startling late rally in the closing minutes that whittled away the Celtics lead. Young nailed back-to-back three-pointers to level the scores at 111-111 with 2:42 remaining and then hit three free throws to help Atlanta take a 114-113 lead. Robert Williams handed Boston a one-point advantage to make it 115-114 to the Celtics with 25.6 seconds left on the clock. 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. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Trae Young's three in Game 5 wins it for Hawks against Celtics

The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown. The Nuggets won Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and in the Knicks vs the Cavaliers, New York took a 2-1 lead.

The next game would be the last for the Timberwolves if they don't win it but the Hawks have given themselves a breather after winning Game 3. The Knicks vs Cavs series, however, is turning out to be a see-saw affair with each team winning the alternative game so far. Here are the full recap, scores and results of all the games:

<h3>Celtics vs Hawks</h3>

The Celtics started out the game in full flow as they took a lead of four points at the end of first quarter with the scoreboard reading 37-33 in their favour. The Hawks, however, came back strongly in the second quarter as they not only erased the four-point deficit but took a seven points lead as well.

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Trae Young put up 32 points with 9 assists to help Atlanta win Game 3! This tough late-game floater is tonight's X-Factor Moment 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HisenseXFactor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HisenseXFactor</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Hisense_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hisense_USA</a> <a href="https://t.co/W65wlh8wp8">pic.twitter.com/W65wlh8wp8</a>
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The third quarter was equal with both the teams scoring 26 points each but Boston was under pressure clearly for not being able to cut down the deficit. The fourth quarter tilted in the Hawks' favor with a score of 30-29 and Atlanta eventually won the game 130-122.

For the Hawks, Trae Young scored magnificent 32 points while Dejounte Murray ably helped him with 25. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum top scored with 29 points while Marcus Smart dropped 24. Even though the Celtics lost Game 3, they still hold a 2-1 lead in the seven-game series.

<h3>Knicks vs Cavaliers</h3>

Game 3 of NBA Playoffs Round 1 lived up to its billing and the Knicks didn't disappoint their fans with the win against the Cavaliers. The series stands at 2-1 with each team winning alternatively. Going by the trend, New York should win it in Game 7 but that's too far as of now.&nbsp;

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Jalen Brunson leads the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> to victory in Game 3 with 21 PTS, 6 AST, and 2 STL! 
 
🏀 CLE/NYK Game 4, Sunday, 1pm/et, ABC <a href="https://t.co/rvtL0Z7MOq">pic.twitter.com/rvtL0Z7MOq</a>
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Coming to the game, the first quarter stood equal with both the teams scoring just 17 points each. Come second quarter, the Knicks ran away, scoring 13 more than the Cavs' 15. Cleveland then could never erase the deficit as the second half saw them scoring four and three points less in the third and fourth quarter, respectively against the Knicks' 27 in each quarter.

For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points while Josh Hart chipped in with 13 as the Knicks beat the Cavs 99-79. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell top scored in the game with 22 points but in vain.

<h3>Nuggets vs Timberwolves</h3>

The Denver Nuggets are looking like a team with a mission, leaving nothing to a chance. Currently, they have a 3-0 lead in the seven-game series against the Timberwolves and the Wolves are just looking very very timid. The game, however, started on a promising note with both the teams scoring 28 points each. The same scenario was in third quarter as well with both the teams scoring 33 points each.

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Anthony Edwards shines in Game 3 ✨ 
 
36 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL 
 
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In the second and fourth quarter, though, the Nuggets outscored the Wolves 33-27 and 26-33, respectively and won the game 120-111. For Denver, Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points while Nikola Jokic managed&nbsp; a triple-double 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds - his seventh in the playoffs. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27.

The next game would be the last for the Wolves if they don't win it and if they do, well, they'd still have to win all of the games in Round 1 to make it to the next round.

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The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown.

The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown. The Nuggets won Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and in the Knicks vs the Cavaliers, New York took a 2-1 lead. The next game would be the last for the Timberwolves if they don't win it but the Hawks have given themselves a breather after winning Game 3. The Knicks vs Cavs series, however, is turning out to be a see-saw affair with each team winning the alternative game so far. Here are the full recap, scores and results of all the games: Celtics vs Hawks The Celtics started out the game in full flow as they took a lead of four points at the end of first quarter with the scoreboard reading 37-33 in their favour. The Hawks, however, came back strongly in the second quarter as they not only erased the four-point deficit but took a seven points lead as well. Trae Young put up 32 points with 9 assists to help Atlanta win Game 3! This tough late-game floater is tonight's X-Factor Moment 👀#HisenseXFactor | @Hisense_USA pic.twitter.com/W65wlh8wp8 — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × The third quarter was equal with both the teams scoring 26 points each but Boston was under pressure clearly for not being able to cut down the deficit. The fourth quarter tilted in the Hawks' favor with a score of 30-29 and Atlanta eventually won the game 130-122. For the Hawks, Trae Young scored magnificent 32 points while Dejounte Murray ably helped him with 25. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum top scored with 29 points while Marcus Smart dropped 24. Even though the Celtics lost Game 3, they still hold a 2-1 lead in the seven-game series. Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 of NBA Playoffs Round 1 lived up to its billing and the Knicks didn't disappoint their fans with the win against the Cavaliers. The series stands at 2-1 with each team winning alternatively. Going by the trend, New York should win it in Game 7 but that's too far as of now. Jalen Brunson leads the @nyknicks to victory in Game 3 with 21 PTS, 6 AST, and 2 STL! 🏀 CLE/NYK Game 4, Sunday, 1pm/et, ABC pic.twitter.com/rvtL0Z7MOq — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × Coming to the game, the first quarter stood equal with both the teams scoring just 17 points each. Come second quarter, the Knicks ran away, scoring 13 more than the Cavs' 15. Cleveland then could never erase the deficit as the second half saw them scoring four and three points less in the third and fourth quarter, respectively against the Knicks' 27 in each quarter. For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points while Josh Hart chipped in with 13 as the Knicks beat the Cavs 99-79. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell top scored in the game with 22 points but in vain. Nuggets vs Timberwolves The Denver Nuggets are looking like a team with a mission, leaving nothing to a chance. Currently, they have a 3-0 lead in the seven-game series against the Timberwolves and the Wolves are just looking very very timid. The game, however, started on a promising note with both the teams scoring 28 points each. The same scenario was in third quarter as well with both the teams scoring 33 points each. Anthony Edwards shines in Game 3 ✨ 36 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL DEN/MIN Game 4, Sunday, 9:30pm/et, TNT pic.twitter.com/ouSbSmfPxt — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × In the second and fourth quarter, though, the Nuggets outscored the Wolves 33-27 and 26-33, respectively and won the game 120-111. For Denver, Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points while Nikola Jokic managed a triple-double 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds - his seventh in the playoffs. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27. The next game would be the last for the Wolves if they don't win it and if they do, well, they'd still have to win all of the games in Round 1 to make it to the next round. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Celtics vs Hawks, Knicks vs Cavs, Nuggets vs Wolves highlights, scores, results and recap

Trae Young scored 25 points as the Atlanta Hawks booked their place in the NBA playoffs after defeating the Miami Heat 116-105 in the opening game of the play-in tournament on Tuesday.

Atlanta's bench combined to score 53 points to silence the Miami home crowd and send the Hawks into an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

Miami will now face the winner of Wednesday's game between Toronto and Chicago to determine the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/sports/nba-playin-tournament-2023-format-teams-schedule-hawks-heat-lakers-wolves-bulls-raptors-okc-pelicans-1681206683449" target="_blank">NBA 2023: Play-in Tournament Format, Teams and Schedule</a>

"We brought the physicality to them," Young said after the win. "They're known for being a very physical team and trying to bully a lot of teams on the defensive end.

"And if you don't match their physicality you can get beat. Tonight I think we matched their physicality and it showed."

Young led a superb all-round offensive team effort from Atlanta, who saw seven players finish in double figures.

Dejounte Murray posted 18 points, while Saddiq Bey added 17.&nbsp;

Atlanta took a stranglehold on the game after a dominant first-half display, outhustling a sluggish Miami line-up at both ends of the court to quickly open up a double-digit lead.

The Hawks moved nine points clear at the end of the first quarter at 36-27 and then accelerated away in the second to lead by 24 points at 63-39.

Only a late 11-0 Miami run to close the half -– Kyle Lowry taking his first-half tally to 19 points -- kept the scoreline respectable but Atlanta nevertheless still reached half-time with a hefty 65-50 lead.

Young led the Atlanta scoring in the first half with 13 points and six assists, including one superb behind-the-back pass in the second quarter to set up a three-pointer for Bey.

Clint Capela also delivered a huge defensive performance for Atlanta, hauling in 21 rebounds and making two crucial blocks in the first half to stymie Miami's offense.

Miami rallied to start the second half with a 13-4 run and closed to within five points at one stage in the third quarter.

But Atlanta were always able to raise the game at key moments to close out the win.

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Trae Young scored 25 points as the Atlanta Hawks booked their place in the NBA playoffs after defeating the Miami Heat 116-105 in the opening game of the play-in tournament on Tuesday.

Trae Young scored 25 points as the Atlanta Hawks booked their place in the NBA playoffs after defeating the Miami Heat 116-105 in the opening game of the play-in tournament on Tuesday. Atlanta's bench combined to score 53 points to silence the Miami home crowd and send the Hawks into an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. Miami will now face the winner of Wednesday's game between Toronto and Chicago to determine the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Also Read: NBA 2023: Play-in Tournament Format, Teams and Schedule "We brought the physicality to them," Young said after the win. "They're known for being a very physical team and trying to bully a lot of teams on the defensive end. "And if you don't match their physicality you can get beat. Tonight I think we matched their physicality and it showed." Young led a superb all-round offensive team effort from Atlanta, who saw seven players finish in double figures. Dejounte Murray posted 18 points, while Saddiq Bey added 17. Atlanta took a stranglehold on the game after a dominant first-half display, outhustling a sluggish Miami line-up at both ends of the court to quickly open up a double-digit lead. The Hawks moved nine points clear at the end of the first quarter at 36-27 and then accelerated away in the second to lead by 24 points at 63-39. Only a late 11-0 Miami run to close the half -– Kyle Lowry taking his first-half tally to 19 points -- kept the scoreline respectable but Atlanta nevertheless still reached half-time with a hefty 65-50 lead. Young led the Atlanta scoring in the first half with 13 points and six assists, including one superb behind-the-back pass in the second quarter to set up a three-pointer for Bey. Clint Capela also delivered a huge defensive performance for Atlanta, hauling in 21 rebounds and making two crucial blocks in the first half to stymie Miami's offense. Miami rallied to start the second half with a 13-4 run and closed to within five points at one stage in the third quarter. But Atlanta were always able to raise the game at key moments to close out the win. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Trae Young drop 25 as Atlanta Hawks down Miami Heat to enter playoffs

Trae Young scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks grabbed the No. 7 in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 116-105 in a play-in tournament game Tuesday night.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks grab No. 7 seed in East, hold off Miami Heat 116-105

NBA Play-in Tournament started off in a blistering manner with the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers emerging as winners in the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively.

Both the teams have qualified for the NBA Playoffs now as the seventh seed in their respective conferences. The losers, Heat and Wolves, however, will have another shot at making the playoffs against the winner of the second play-in game between No. 9 and No. 10 seed teams in their conferences.

<h2>Here are the Winners and Losers of the first two play-in tournament games:</h2>

<h3>NBA Play-in tournament Winners:</h3>

Atlanta Hawks in Eastern Conference

The Hawks set the tone early in the game as they led the scoring in the first two quarters of the game 36-27 and 29-23. The Heat could never bridge the gap even as they outscored the Hawks in the next two quarters 28-26 and 27-25. 'Ice' Trae Young led the scoring table for the Hawks as he dropped 25 points and Atlanta eventually won 116-105.

Other notable performances from the Hawks were Dejounte Murray 18 points, Saddiq Bey 17 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic 14 points, Onyeka Okongwu 12 points and Clint Capela's 21 rebounds.

Los Angeles Lakers in Western Conference

LeBron James and Anthony Davis both had a brilliant night as the Lakers scampered their way into the NBA Playoffs. Both James and Davis scored a double-double in a must-win game for the Showtime Lakers. James, however top scored with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Davis dropped 24 points and 15 rebounds.

Lakers' Dennis Schroder also scored 21 points as Lakers shrugged off first-half deficit of 11 points and went on to with the game in OT by six points with the final scoreboard reading of 108-102.

Watch the Hawks vs Heat full game highlights below:

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ATLHawks</a> were ACTIVE on the glass in their <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTPlayIn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTPlayIn</a> win! 
 
💪 22 offensive boards 
💪 26 second-chance points 
 
For more, download the NBA app: 
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— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1646060585744842754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h3>NBA Play-in Tournament Losers:</h3>

Miami Heat in Eastern Conference

The Heat were the better team but in last two quarters of the game and the four point advantage they gained in the second half wasn't suffice against the soaring Hawks.&nbsp;

For the Heat, Kyle Lowry led the way with 33 points while Tyler Herro dropped 26 but it was all too little too late. Heat's superstar Jimmy Buttler too managed 21 points and all these efforts went in vain. Miami will, however, have another shot at making it to the playoffs on April 14 when they take on the winner of Bulls vs Raptors game.

Minnesota Timberwolves in Western Conference

The Wolves started strongly and gained a lead of 11 points at the end of second quarter but then they lost their way as the Lakers counter-attacked to wipe off the lead in the next two quarters.

The game then moved into overtime, giving the Wolves another chance to find their way back into the game but the Showtime Lakers were too bright for them as Minnesota were outscored 4-10 in the OT.

However, just like the Heat, Timberwolves will have another shot again to make it right when they take on the winner of Pelicans vs Raptors.

Watch the Lakers vs Wolves full game highlights here:

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30 FOR THE KING. 
LAKERS WIN TO GET IN.<a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingJames</a> powers the Lakers into the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel! <a href="https://t.co/6Hw35GM3qf">pic.twitter.com/6Hw35GM3qf</a>
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NBA Play-in Tournament started off in a blistering manner with the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers emerging as winners in the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively.

NBA Play-in Tournament started off in a blistering manner with the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers emerging as winners in the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively. Both the teams have qualified for the NBA Playoffs now as the seventh seed in their respective conferences. The losers, Heat and Wolves, however, will have another shot at making the playoffs against the winner of the second play-in game between No. 9 and No. 10 seed teams in their conferences. Here are the Winners and Losers of the first two play-in tournament games: NBA Play-in tournament Winners: Atlanta Hawks in Eastern Conference The Hawks set the tone early in the game as they led the scoring in the first two quarters of the game 36-27 and 29-23. The Heat could never bridge the gap even as they outscored the Hawks in the next two quarters 28-26 and 27-25. 'Ice' Trae Young led the scoring table for the Hawks as he dropped 25 points and Atlanta eventually won 116-105. Other notable performances from the Hawks were Dejounte Murray 18 points, Saddiq Bey 17 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic 14 points, Onyeka Okongwu 12 points and Clint Capela's 21 rebounds. Los Angeles Lakers in Western Conference LeBron James and Anthony Davis both had a brilliant night as the Lakers scampered their way into the NBA Playoffs. Both James and Davis scored a double-double in a must-win game for the Showtime Lakers. James, however top scored with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Davis dropped 24 points and 15 rebounds. Lakers' Dennis Schroder also scored 21 points as Lakers shrugged off first-half deficit of 11 points and went on to with the game in OT by six points with the final scoreboard reading of 108-102. Watch the Hawks vs Heat full game highlights below: The @ATLHawks were ACTIVE on the glass in their #ATTPlayIn win! 💪 22 offensive boards 💪 26 second-chance points For more, download the NBA app: 📲 https://t.co/EfGWQh0QrC pic.twitter.com/DJCbTD9T67 — NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023 × Also Read: NBA 2023: Play-in Tournament Format, Teams and Schedule NBA Play-in Tournament Losers: Miami Heat in Eastern Conference The Heat were the better team but in last two quarters of the game and the four point advantage they gained in the second half wasn't suffice against the soaring Hawks. For the Heat, Kyle Lowry led the way with 33 points while Tyler Herro dropped 26 but it was all too little too late. Heat's superstar Jimmy Buttler too managed 21 points and all these efforts went in vain. Miami will, however, have another shot at making it to the playoffs on April 14 when they take on the winner of Bulls vs Raptors game. Minnesota Timberwolves in Western Conference The Wolves started strongly and gained a lead of 11 points at the end of second quarter but then they lost their way as the Lakers counter-attacked to wipe off the lead in the next two quarters. The game then moved into overtime, giving the Wolves another chance to find their way back into the game but the Showtime Lakers were too bright for them as Minnesota were outscored 4-10 in the OT. However, just like the Heat, Timberwolves will have another shot again to make it right when they take on the winner of Pelicans vs Raptors. Watch the Lakers vs Wolves full game highlights here: 30 FOR THE KING. LAKERS WIN TO GET IN.@KingJames powers the Lakers into the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel! pic.twitter.com/6Hw35GM3qf — NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023 × WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA 2023 Play-in Tournament: Hawks vs Heat and Lakers vs Timberwolves scores, results and full game highlights

The Atlanta Hawks fired coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday and made assistant coach Joe Prunty the interim head coach. The Hawks will be looking to replace McMillan immediately with former Hawks assistant coach Quin Snyder being at the the top of the list, source told ESPN. The Hawks currently sit at eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 29-30 record. Hawks' new general manager Landry Fields will begin searching for a new coach as early as Tuesday, told sources to ESPN. Snyder, 56, who is leading the list of probable candidate, worked as Mike Budenholzer's assistant during his last stint with the Hawks.&nbsp;

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According to ESPN, Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are also in the race apart from Snyder. The move to remove McMillan isn't sudden as he was already supposed to part ways in the offseason but the management decided to go for it with a chance to salvage a playoff season. This is the second big management move from the Hawks after Landry Fields' ascension as the team's top basketball decision-maker following Travis Schlenk decision to step down in December last year.

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McMillan held 99-80 record as head coach during his stint with the Hawks. He was initially hired as assistant to Lloyd Pierce, but was named interim head coach in 2021. McMillan was given a four-year contract after he chalked up a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. His interim replacement Prunty also has prior experience as he had replaced Jason Kidd in 2018, though as interim head only. Prunty went 21-16 in regular season with the Bucks as their interim head coach.

Snyder, the top option, meanwhile resigned as Utah Jazz coach post 2021-22 season after reaching Western Conference playoffs six consecutive times, He also appeared in conference semifinals on three occasions during his Jazz stint.

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The Atlanta Hawks fired coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday and made assistant coach Joe Prunty the interim head coach. The Hawks will be looking to replace McMillan immediately with former Hawks assistant coach Quin Snyder being at the the top of the list, source told ESPN.

The Atlanta Hawks fired coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday and made assistant coach Joe Prunty the interim head coach. The Hawks will be looking to replace McMillan immediately with former Hawks assistant coach Quin Snyder being at the the top of the list, source told ESPN. The Hawks currently sit at eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 29-30 record. Hawks' new general manager Landry Fields will begin searching for a new coach as early as Tuesday, told sources to ESPN. Snyder, 56, who is leading the list of probable candidate, worked as Mike Budenholzer's assistant during his last stint with the Hawks. Also Read: LIV Golf members allowed to compete in The Open According to ESPN, Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson are also in the race apart from Snyder. The move to remove McMillan isn't sudden as he was already supposed to part ways in the offseason but the management decided to go for it with a chance to salvage a playoff season. This is the second big management move from the Hawks after Landry Fields' ascension as the team's top basketball decision-maker following Travis Schlenk decision to step down in December last year. Read More: Holders Real Madrid come from two down to earn a stunning 5-2 win vs Liverpool McMillan held 99-80 record as head coach during his stint with the Hawks. He was initially hired as assistant to Lloyd Pierce, but was named interim head coach in 2021. McMillan was given a four-year contract after he chalked up a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2021. His interim replacement Prunty also has prior experience as he had replaced Jason Kidd in 2018, though as interim head only. Prunty went 21-16 in regular season with the Bucks as their interim head coach. Snyder, the top option, meanwhile resigned as Utah Jazz coach post 2021-22 season after reaching Western Conference playoffs six consecutive times, He also appeared in conference semifinals on three occasions during his Jazz stint. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks fire head coach Nate McMillan

Brook Lopez stepped up when it mattered the most as Milwaukee Bucks beat Atlanta Hawks 123-112&nbsp;<a>on Thursday night</a>&nbsp;(<a>Friday morning</a>&nbsp;IST) taking a 3-2 lead in the series. With their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo watching from the bench, four of the Bucks’ starters tallied over 22 points putting Hawks one game away from elimination.&nbsp;

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While Lopez led the scoring for Bucks with 33, Khris Middleton got 26 with 13 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday tallying 25, and Bobby Portis registered a playoff-high of 22. For Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic stepped up with 28 points, but Hawks missed the creative spark their star player Trae Young provided them through the Playoffs.

Bucks showed intent and aggression as they led by 20 points at one point in the first quarter. The home team never conceded the lead and the closest Hawks came was at 65-59 at the start of the 3rd&nbsp;quarter.

“They were more physical. They hit us in the mouth, and we just did not recover from that,” said Hawks coach Nate McMillan. “They were more aggressive team from start to&nbsp;<a>finish tonight</a>.”

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was happy how Portis played his role of the backup big man in Antetokounmpo’s absence. “He brings that passion for the game, for life. He's fun to be around. I think the crowd can feel that. His teammates can feel that. Coaches can feel it,” said Budenholzer.&nbsp;

As the series moves back to Atlanta, Hawks will be hoping their star player Trae Young is back for must-win Game 6 on Saturday (<a>Sunday morning</a>&nbsp;IST). “We've got to get back home and get ourselves ready to take care of business at home… I expect us to respond. It's do-or-die now,” said McMillan.

Brook Lopez stepped up when it mattered the most as Milwaukee Bucks beat Atlanta Hawks 123-112 on Thursday night (Friday morning IST) taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

Brook Lopez stepped up when it mattered the most as Milwaukee Bucks beat Atlanta Hawks 123-112 on Thursday night (Friday morning IST) taking a 3-2 lead in the series. With their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo watching from the bench, four of the Bucks’ starters tallied over 22 points putting Hawks one game away from elimination. ALSO READ: NBA: Bucks, Hawks go head-to-head without their stars aligned While Lopez led the scoring for Bucks with 33, Khris Middleton got 26 with 13 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday tallying 25, and Bobby Portis registered a playoff-high of 22. For Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic stepped up with 28 points, but Hawks missed the creative spark their star player Trae Young provided them through the Playoffs. Bucks showed intent and aggression as they led by 20 points at one point in the first quarter. The home team never conceded the lead and the closest Hawks came was at 65-59 at the start of the 3rd quarter. “They were more physical. They hit us in the mouth, and we just did not recover from that,” said Hawks coach Nate McMillan. “They were more aggressive team from start to finish tonight.” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was happy how Portis played his role of the backup big man in Antetokounmpo’s absence. “He brings that passion for the game, for life. He's fun to be around. I think the crowd can feel that. His teammates can feel that. Coaches can feel it,” said Budenholzer. As the series moves back to Atlanta, Hawks will be hoping their star player Trae Young is back for must-win Game 6 on Saturday (Sunday morning IST). “We've got to get back home and get ourselves ready to take care of business at home… I expect us to respond. It's do-or-die now,” said McMillan.

NBA: Brook Lopez helps Milwaukee Bucks ground Atlanta Hawks

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