LOS ANGELES — John Collins scored 33 points, and reserve Brandon Goodwin scored all of his 19 points in the second half to help the short-handed Hawks erase a 21-point deficit and defeat the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 102-95 on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Collins was 12 of 22 from the field and added 16 rebounds, matching his season high. It was his ninth double-double and third 30-point effort of the season.
However, it was Goodwin who came up with the big baskets down the stretch. He had a three-point play to give Atlanta a 93-91 lead with 3:56 left and made all three free throws after a three-shot foul to stretch the lead to 96-91 with 3:23 to go.
The Hawks also got 12 points and seven rebounds from Kevin Huerter plus 10 points and eight rebounds from Cam Reddish.
“Our competitive nature kicked in,” Collins said. “We turned it around, played selflessly, and good things happened.”
The Hawks were without leading scorer and floor leader Trae Young, a game-time scratch due to a right thigh contusion. Young, who averages 29.2 points, was coming off a 42-point, 15-assist night against the Toronto Raptors on Monday.
Los Angeles was led by Montrezl Harrell with 30 points and seven rebounds, but he made only 6 of 13 from the foul line and missed 5 of 6 free throws in the fourth quarter. The Clippers got 18 points from Lou Williams, but he was an uncharacteristic 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Landry Shamet scored 13.
The Clippers were playing without starters Kawhi Leonard (load management), Paul George (left hamstring strain) and Patrick Beverley (groin), but it didn’t seem to matter in the first quarter. The Clippers used a 20-0 run in the first quarter to take what appeared to be a commanding lead and led by as many as 21 in the second quarter. Los Angeles was ahead 60-41 at halftime.
Atlanta inched closer in the third quarter, outscoring the Clippers 28-15 to cut the Los Angeles lead to 75-69 entering the final quarter.
DAVIS, LEBRON LEAD LAKERS PAST KNICKS
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis scored a game-high 28 points Wednesday night for the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, who held off the New York Knicks 100-92.
Davis was 7 of 14 from the field and 13 of 13 from the free-throw line, matching his most conversions without a miss in a game this season. He also was 13 for 13 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 3.
LeBron James had 21 points and six rebounds, five assists and five steals for the Lakers, who won for the 11th time in 13 games. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (13 points) and Kyle Kuzma (10) each scored in double figures off the bench for Los Angeles.
Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points and Damyean Dotson came off the bench to add 17 for the Knicks, who have lost four of their past five and are 2-9 in a stretch beginning with a loss to Phoenix on Jan. 3. Julius Randle had 16 points and Taj Gibson 12 for New York, which got 12 rebounds from Mitchell Robinson.
The Lakers led 28-25 at the end of the first quarter before the Knicks opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Dotson. James responded by scoring nine points in an 11-4 run that gave Los Angeles a 42-40 lead with 5:11 left in the second quarter. The teams were never separated by more than two points before winding up tied at halftime at 48.
Reggie Bullock’s 3-pointer 40 seconds into the third gave the Knicks their final lead at 52-50. A layup by JaVale McGee gave the Lakers the lead for good at 56-54 and keyed a 7-0 run by Los Angeles.
The Lakers scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to open their biggest lead at 83-70. The Knicks got as close as six points twice in the final minute on two baskets by Randle, but Alex Caruso hit two free throws with 20.7 seconds left and New York’s last hope evaporated when Dotson missed a turnaround jumper 10 seconds later. — Reuters
