If the trade value for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray wasn’t high enough before this week, game-clinching jumpers in back-to-back games likely will give it a bump.
Murray, who has been the subject of trade rumors, knocked down a jumper at the buzzer Wednesday to edge the Magic 106-104. He hit a 3-pointer Friday with two seconds left to lift the Hawks past the Heat 109-108.
Now, Murray and Atlanta turn their attention to one of the hottest teams in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers. But before the Hawks began preparing for the second night of a back-to-back set, there needed to be a moment to credit this week’s hero.
“I can’t say enough about Dejounte,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “Not just the game-winning shot, but just his presence on the court throughout the entire game. … I think everybody has confidence in him during those situations. He’s got the mental toughness to embrace those moments.”
With Hawks star Trae Young absent due to an illness, Murray collected 22 points and 11 assists, while leading the Hawks to their first three-game winning streak since winning four in a row Oct. 29-Nov. 4.
“Our mentality was to win no matter what,” Murray said. “I believe in everybody, we all believe in each other. … I feel like if we had made a couple of our good looks earlier, we wouldn’t have needed a game-winning shot, but at the end of the day, it’s a confidence thing and I’m just glad I was able to come through for my teammates.”
As celebratory as the night was for Atlanta, a daunting challenge awaits Saturday when the Hawks return home to face the streaking Cavaliers.
Winners of six straight games — including a 40-point win over the Bucks on Wednesday — Cleveland has asserted itself as a force in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers never trailed against Milwaukee, led by a career night from Georges Niang.
The 30-year-old reserve scored a career-high 33 points on 13-for-14 shooting from the floor, including 5-for-6 on 3-pointers.
“I’ll definitely enjoy what happened tonight, but we have bigger things to look forward to,” Niang said. “With that being said, I’m not going to take away from this moment. It was very cool for my teammates to get me involved and look for me, so that’s always appreciated, but I think all of us know this was way bigger than ‘Georges Niang’s first 30-point game.'”
Donovan Mitchell added 31 points in the win. The four-time All-Star is averaging 36.7 points over his last three games.
The Cavaliers have won 11 of their last 14 games and are fourth in the East.
Cleveland begins a four-game road trip after playing seven of its last eight games at home.
The Cavaliers have lost their last five games in Atlanta — their last win coming on Jan. 2, 2021.
–Field Level Media