Dejounte Murray delivered a dramatic finish for the Atlanta Hawks, sinking a game-winning three-pointer with just two seconds remaining, as they edged past the Miami Heat 109-108 during Friday’s NBA action. This thrilling victory overshadowed Udonis Haslem’s jersey retirement celebration in Miami.
Murray, who topped the Hawks’ scoring with 22 points, expressed his respect for Haslem but emphasized their team’s determination to secure a win on this significant night. This marked Murray’s second game-winning shot in a row, following a decisive 17-foot jumper against Orlando on Wednesday.
“First of all, congratulations to Haslem,” Murray said. “He’s a real vet, real professional. I call him an OG. I just want to put that out there. But we wanted to spoil that night tonight. We wanted to get that win tonight … so our mentality was win no matter what.”
The Heat, led by Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler with 25 points each, saw their 22-game home winning streak against Southeast Division opponents end. Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, and Caleb Martin contributed significantly to the Heat’s effort.
“Can’t say enough about Dejounte,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “The shot, of course, that was a big-time play.”
In a tense final moment, Martin passed to Butler, who then returned the ball to Martin, but time ran out before the Heat could attempt a final shot. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra expressed disappointment in the play’s execution, taking responsibility for the call.
“It was a poor play call, and I’m disappointed in my call on that,” Spoelstra said. “I had something else in mind.”
The victory marked a milestone for Hawks coach Quin Snyder, the 400th of his regular-season career. Atlanta achieved this win despite the absence of star player Trae Young, who is currently out due to illness. The Hawks have managed a 2-1 record in the games missed by Young, who averages 27.2 points and 10.9 assists this season.
Miami experimented with their lineup, using Kyle Lowry off the bench for the first time this season and introducing their 23rd starting combination in 42 games. Lowry had previously started in all 35 of his season’s appearances.
The night was particularly special due to Haslem’s jersey retirement ceremony at halftime, which extended the break between the two quarters to 36 minutes, significantly longer than the usual 15 minutes. The ceremony saw the raising of Haslem’s No. 40 jersey to the arena rafters, with Haslem and Heat President Pat Riley delivering speeches.
Despite Haslem’s clear expectation of a win to mark his special night, the Hawks, fueled by Murray’s clutch performance, extended their winning streak to three games, a feat they hadn’t achieved since early November.
“Nothing but gratitude right now,” Haslem said.
Spoelstra acknowledged the difficulty of Murray’s shot in the game’s decisive moment.
“He hit an extremely tough shot,” Spoelstra said.
Looking forward, the Hawks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, while the Heat will face off against the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
