Thompson, Looney don hero capes for Warriors in double-OT escape over Hawks

Kevon Looney capped a 21-rebound night with a buzzer-beating tip-in, Klay Thompson exploded for a season-high 54 points and the Golden State Warriors outlasted the Atlanta Hawks, 143-141, on Monday (Tuesday, January 3, Manila time) in the first-ever double-overtime game in the history of San Francisco’s Chase Center.

Rushing the ball up the floor without a timeout following a Trae Young floater that tied the game with eight seconds left in the second extra session, the Warriors went to Thompson, who misfired on a straightaway 3-point attempt.

Looney got a hand on the high carom, tapped it off the glass, then retrieved it himself to lay it in for a hoop that survived a video review.

Looney finished with 14 points to go with his game-high 21 rebounds, 11 of which came on the offensive end. Draymond Green recorded a second Warriors double-double with 13 rebounds and 11 assists to complement five points for the hosts, whose fifth straight win improved the league’s best home record to 17-2.

In losing for the fourth consecutive time, four Hawks recorded double-doubles, led by Young’s 30 points and game-high 14 assists.

Thompson’s 54 points were the second most of his career, trailing just his 60-point night against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016. He shot 10-for-21 from 3-point range, his seventh career game with 10 or more threes.

Seeking to remain perfect in the fifth outing of an eight-game homestand, the Warriors used a wild sequence to force the first overtime on a Donte DiVincenzo 3-pointer with six-tenths of a second remaining.

After Young’s two free throws had given Atlanta a 121-118 lead with 9.1 seconds to play, Thompson missed a 3-point try and Golden State’s Jordan Poole, after grabbing an offensive rebound, had a long-distance attempt blocked by Dejounte Murray.

The ball went to DiVincenzo, and his 3-pointer from the right-side angle produced the tie.

Atlanta led by five early in the second overtime, only to see 3-pointers by Thompson and Poole put Golden State up three before Young’s fifth and sixth free throws of the final 58.1 seconds forged a 132-all tie.

Both teams seemed to be in control at different points of regulation, with Golden State using a 70-point first half to go up by as many as 21 before the Hawks rallied behind a 42-point third quarter to eventually go up by as many as nine with just 5:47 to play in the fourth.

Anthony Lamb chipped in with 17 points off the bench for the Warriors, who once again were without Stephen Curry (shoulder) and Andrew Wiggins (non-COVID illness).

Murray (25 points, 10 rebounds), John Collins (25 points, 13 rebounds) and Onyeka Okongwu (16 points, 12 rebounds) joined Young with double-doubles for the Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in with 21 points off the bench, and De’Andre Hunter scored 17 points. – Rappler.com