Boston.- Trae Young had 38 points and hit a long go-ahead 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key with 2.8 seconds remaining to help the Atlanta Falcons cap a late comeback and beat the Boston Celtics 119-117 today. at night.
The win cuts Boston’s lead in the first-round playoff series to 3-2 and sends the teams back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday.
John Collins added 22 points for Atlanta, which played without Dejounte Murray, who was suspended for one game for chest-pumping official Gediminas Petraitis as he walked off the field after the end of Game 4.
Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and Jayson Tatum added 19 for the Celtics, who were outscored 37-25 in the fourth quarter.
Derrick White put the Celtics ahead 117-116 with 7.3 seconds remaining, setting up a final possession for the Falcons. The ball went to Young in the backcourt, who dribbled into the frontcourt and knocked down a 29-footer over Brown. The Falcons made 19 three-pointers in the game.
The Celtics missed their opening pass in bounds and had another chance with 0.5 seconds remaining, but Tatum’s fading 3-point attempt only found air as time expired.
Brown, who has been recovering from a late-season facial fracture, was unmasked for most of the Celtics’ Game 4 victory and said he found energy after removing it during a 31-point night.
He used it again for Game 5 and kept the same intensity, leading all scorers with 23 points in the first half and hitting 10 of his first 13 shots.
Atlanta trailed by 13 before tying the game at 111 on Young’s 3-pointer.
Boston drove the ball down the court and passed it to Robert Williams, who dropped a layup. He was fouled but missed his next free kick.
The score was still 113-111 when Young drove and was fouled by Al Horford. Tatum disagreed with the call and was whistled for a technical foul. Young made all three free throws to put the Falcons ahead 114-113.
Brown turned it around, then missed on a layup. Atlanta’s next possession ended in a jumper that was checked by Boston. Williams scored on a layup to put the Celtics back in the lead with 25 seconds left.
