By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Extending a winning streak to four games, the Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Boston Celtics in overtime on Thursday. Dejounte Murray scored a career-high 44 points, including all 11 points of the extra period and the go-ahead bucket. Bogdan Bogdanovic was on the spot from beyond the arc to force overtime.
“Without him, we lose the game,” Murray pointed to the Serbian guard during the postgame press conference, “Great player. Great guy.”
“Playing with Dejounte, I learned a lot. Just playing with him, what he likes to do. He knew already what I liked to do,” responded Bogdanovic, “He always encourages me to take the ball and be aggressive.”
Besides tallying 24 points for a win in State Farm Arena, the former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion was assigned to Kristaps Porzingis and made a key block against the Latvian forward in overtime.
“He is a tough matchup for us guards. But what we can do is fight, push him out of the paint, keep him out. None of these bigs like it when we get in their legs. So, that is what we are trying to do defensively. Just trying to make a stop, trying to make a play,” described Bogdanovic.
At 34-39 and the bottom end of the Play-In zone in the Eastern Conference, the team coached by Quin Snyder is on the verge of extending the campaign beyond the Regular Season. Welcoming the Milwaukee Bucks on the next edition of NBA Saturdays concludes a five-game homestand.