(Field Level Media) Rookie Trae Young scored 23 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:47 remaining, and the Atlanta Hawks hung on to beat the visiting Utah Jazz 117-114 on Thursday.
Atlanta’s Dewayne Dedmon made a free throw with 6.2 seconds left to give the Hawks a 117-114 lead. Utah’s Kyle Korver then missed two free throws, the second on purpose, and Donovan Mitchell missed a 3-pointer that was rebounded by Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore as the clock expired.
The win broke Atlanta’s three-game losing streak and snapped Utah’s five-game winning streak. The teams split their two-game series.
Young gave the Hawks the lead for good when he scored on a layup and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead. He added 11 assists for his 25th double-double of the season.
Dedmon, who made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 19 seconds, finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. John Collins, hampered by foul trouble for the third straight game, was limited to nine points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Utah, playing the second half of a back-to-back road series, got 34 points from Mitchell, his second straight 30-point game. Ricky Rubio scored 17 points, Derrick Favors added 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hawks avoided the first-half slump that has cost them dearly in the last three games, all losses. They led the Jazz 29-28 and grabbed a double-digit advantage with 4:28 left in the second quarter on Dedmon’s basket. Atlanta had its biggest lead at the break when Young beat the defense downcourt to score on a layup with 1.9 seconds left that made it 65-54 at halftime.
Utah seized the momentum after the break by scoring the first seven points. The Jazz outscored the Hawks 17-6 and tied the score71-71 at 6:49 on a three-point play by Rubio. Utah outscored Atlanta 11-2 and held an 82-73 lead after Mitchell’s basket with 3:58. Utah wound up with a 91-86 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Atlanta will complete its three-game homestand on Saturday against Philadelphia. Utah completes its four-game road trip with a visit to Chicago on Saturday.
