NBA: Trae Young, John Collins lift Hawks past Pacers
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the Miami Heat during the first half at State Farm Arena on November 27, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP
John Collins scored on a tip-in with 0.7 seconds remaining to give the visiting Atlanta Hawks a 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Indianapolis.
Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray missed a 16-foot jumper with 1.1 seconds left, but Collins was able to tap it in for the go-ahead basket. Indiana was unable to get off a final shot. Indiana’s Buddy Hield had tied the game at 111-111 with 21.1 seconds left on a pair of free throws.
Hawks point guard Trae Young returned after missing one game with a non-COVID illness. He posted 26 points and 11 assists, his 19th double-double of the season, and surpassed the 1,000-point mark. Young made a 29-foot 3-pointer with 32.1 seconds left to put the Hawks up by two before Hield’s foul shots.
JOHN COLLINS ON THE FOLLOW WITH 0.7 REMAINING.
HAWKS WIN. pic.twitter.com/SE4mwwRktV
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2023
Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter matched his season high with 25 points, including six 3-pointers, and Onyeka Okongwu scored 18 points and had a career-high 20 rebounds and four blocks. Collins finished with seven points.
Indiana was led by Bennedict Mathurin with 26 points, his second straight 20-point game. Buddy Hield added 18 points, including five 3s, five assists and three steals.
The Hawks were up 36-27 after the first quarter thanks to a 14-point, eight-rebound effort by Okongwu. Atlanta had an 11-point lead during the second, but the Pacers came back to tie the game four times and take a 58-55 lead into the break when Hield drained a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left.
Before JC's winner, Ice Trae drilled this clutch 3 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ZDoqnTj9tD
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 14, 2023
Atlanta used a 14-0 run in the third quarter, only to have Indiana finish with a 15-2 run and take an 89-84 lead into the fourth quarter on a trey by Hield.
The teams have split the two regular-season meetings thus far. The final game will be March 25 in Atlanta.
The Pacers were without Myles Turner (back spasms) and Tyrese Haliburton (left elbow sprain, left knee contusion), who will miss two weeks after being injured on Wednesday.
Both teams will complete the second leg of a back-to-back on Saturday. The Hawks are at Toronto and the Pacers are at home against Memphis.
