ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Trae Young had 22 points and 14 assists, John Collins also scored 22 points despite foul trouble, and the Atlanta Hawks defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 117-113 on Tuesday night.
Atlanta Hawks rookie Trae Young drives against LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. | AP photo
The Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak despite a triple-double from James, who had 28 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds.
Both teams struggled mightily in the final quarter after an up-and-down track meet over the first three periods.
The Hawks scored just seven points in the final 6:33 but managed to hold on. Taurean Prince delivered a key 3-pointer with 1:48 remaining, and Young darted past James for a lay-in and a foul that thwarted any hope of a Lakers comeback.
Atlanta tied a franchise record for 3-pointers in a quarter, going 10 of 17 in the opening period for a 38-32 lead. The Lakers fought back to take a 69-65 edge at the half, but Atlanta pulled ahead for good to lead 100-95 going to the fourth.
Despite chants of “Kobe’s better” from the sellout crowd of 16,824, James was cheered loudly by a hefty contingent of Lakers fans. He turned in a dazzling effort, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the subpar group around him. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram scored 19 points apiece.
The Lakers had a chance after an Atlanta turnover led to a driving basket by James, cutting the home team’s lead to 116-113. But after desperately trying to come up with a steal, Los Angeles was forced to foul Kevin Huerter with 4.3 seconds left. He made the second of two free throws to seal the victory.
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