Celtics beaten by Hawks — again

Murray scores 44, hits winner in OT

Hawks 123 celtics 122

ATLANTA – The celtics finished their fourday sojourn in Atlanta bruised and humbled after finding yet another way to lose to the shorthanded Hawks, this time in the final second.

After blowing a 30-point lead and losing monday, the celtics engaged in a fiercely competitive game on Thursday and needed one defensive stop against the shot-chucking Dejounte murray to finally close out what has become a pesky opponent.

Murray just proved better. He lofted a 22-footer over the outstretched arm of Jrue Holiday with 0.1 seconds left for a 123-122 win, another bitter loss for the celtics. Murray, the midrange specialist, scored all of Atlanta’s points in overtime and he finished with a career-high 44 points on 18-for-44 shooting.

Jaylen Brown had just given the celtics the lead with an elbow jumper with 6.2 seconds left, as coach Joe mazzulla diverted away from the often-used Jayson Tatum isolation play that ended regulation with a missed 3-pointer.

Murray caught the ball in the backcourt, dribbled toward Holiday, the celtics’ best on-ball defender and swished a jumper. Wesley matthews was the lone other Hawk to attempt a shot in overtime, but the celtics defense had no answer for murray, regardless if they knew he was going to attempt the shot.

“We want nothing more than Jrue Holiday against Dejounte murray at the end of the game,” mazzulla said.

And what was projected as two easy wins against the 10th seed in the Eastern conference became two excruciating losses filled with mistakes and defensive lapses. The celtics allowed Atlanta to grab 17 offensive rebounds, good for 28 second-chance points, 12 above its season average.

The Hawks constantly frustrated the celtics with points after long tip-out rebounds, including the tying 3pointer in regulation by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 27.2 seconds left. On that play, murray missed a contested 3pointer, but De’Andre Hunter grabbed the ball and fed Bogdanovic for an open three.

“That’s where the game is [decided],” mazzulla said. “They had 17 offensive rebounds. That’s the game. I don’t think it’s becoming an issue. They do a good job of crashing. I’m sure there’s a few of them we can get better at, but that to me is the game right there. I thought we played a hell of a game outside of that component.

“If you’re looking for me to tell you they out-efforted us for like six to eight rebounds, they out-efforted us for six to eight rebounds.”

Murray’s first three buckets of overtime were scored when the celtics voluntarily switched 7-foot-3-inch Kristaps Porzingis on him for one-on-one action. Each time he lofted his jumper over Porzingis without defensive help. mazzulla said after the game that was intentional.

“It was good reps for us,” mazzulla said. “We went to that on purpose. It was an opportunity to practice stuff that we’re gonna need to get to. I thought it was a good opportunity to get reps on that and get it on film.”

The Celtics have already clinched the Eastern conference and their magic number is four to clinch the NBA’s best record. Thursday also marked the first time since march 7 their usual starting lineup played together. The celtics were rested and whole while the Hawks were missing key starters Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Still, it was a 48-minute struggle.

“I think it’s been good,” Brown said of the difficult two games against the Hawks. “I think, one, give credit (to) Atlanta. It’s just like a playoff level of physicality. I think they benefited from the whistle. We would have liked to see some more consistency from it. Some days it’s going to be like that, especially on the road in the playoffs. I felt like I got fouled, especially going (to the basket) in the fourth quarter. They let that go.

“We still have to find ways to win and match the level of physicality. I think we did a good job for the most part outside of the glass. We have to get on the glass, fight on the glass. But give credit to Atlanta. They’re tough.”

Tatum led the celtics with 31 points on 9-for-22 shooting but he missed a key free throw in overtime that would have tied the game at 116. Derrick White put Boston ahead, 119-118, with a 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 21 seconds left in the extra period but murray countered with a three. Tatum added a technical free throw and then Brown put the celtics up with his elbow jumper before murray’s dramatics.

“I think he had a good take,” Holiday said of murray’s winner. “Obviously he had a difficult shot. He had been making difficult shots all night. give it to the man. He knocks it down for a game winner. You just have somebody who’s a dawg. He’s just going to keep shooting. It doesn’t matter to him what it is.”