Hawks Ninth Straight Victory Fueled By McCollum And Johnson In 122-99 Win Over Bucks

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Luka Doncic hit a decisive shot in overtime, while Paolo Banchero and CJ McCollum led major wins as the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks claimed key NBA victories with strong scoring, historic streaks and standout triple-doubles across a busy night.

The Lakers edged the Denver Nuggets 127-125 in overtime, the Magic completed a rare 5-0 season sweep of the Miami Heat, and the Hawks stretched their current NBA-best winning run to nine by defeating a short-handed Milwaukee Bucks side 122-99.

Doncic produced 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, then decided the contest with a fall-away jumper from 17 feet that dropped with 0.5 seconds left in overtime, giving Los Angeles a 127-125 victory and continuing the Lakers five-game winning streak against a Denver team led by Nikola Jokic.

Austin Reaves forced the extra period with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation, grabbing his own deliberate missed free throw before floating in the tying basket, after Denver had intentionally fouled to avoid a three-point attempt while leading 118-115 with 5.2 seconds on the clock.

Jokic compiled 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for his 27th triple-double of the campaign, while Aaron Gordon led Denver scoring with 27 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20, but the Nuggets could not answer once Doncic created space against Spencer Jones for the winning shot and then blocked Hardaway’s late desperation attempt.

Earlier, Orlando moved a game clear of Miami in the race for fifth in the Eastern Conference by winning 121-117, with Banchero scoring 27 points and Desmond Bane adding 21 as the Magic recorded a seventh straight victory and reached 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2023-24 season.

The Magic built a lead that reached 22 points, yet the Heat twice cut the margin to two in the final 18.5 seconds, as Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 22 points and Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each scored 20 during a late push that ultimately fell short at home.

Miami’s defeat ended the Heat’s season-best seven-game winning streak and marked the first time since 1992-93, when New York coached by current Heat President Pat Riley went 5-0, that Miami had lost five games in one season to the same opponent, with New Orleans’ 5-0 record versus Sacramento in 2023-24 the only other such instance in 30 years.

NBA: Hawks win ninth straight as McCollum climbs three-point list

Atlanta’s 122-99 home victory over Milwaukee featured another triple-double from Jalen Johnson, who totalled 23 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, giving Johnson a 12th triple-double this season and helping the Hawks preserve the NBA’s longest active winning streak at nine games.

McCollum matched Doncic with 30 points, hitting seven three-pointers and passing Paul Pierce for 16th on the NBA career three-point list with 2,147 makes, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 20 points as the Hawks pulled away after holding a 60-52 edge at half-time following six lead changes and four ties.

The Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sprained a left ankle in Milwaukee’s 112-105 defeat to the Miami Heat on Thursday, leaving Ryan Rollins to score 22 points and Kevin Porter Jr. to post 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a losing effort against Atlanta’s balanced attack.

Atlanta decided the contest in the third quarter, outscoring Milwaukee 35-26 as McCollum produced 11 points in that stretch, and the Hawks’ depth supported Johnson’s all-round display, keeping the team’s strong momentum intact against a conference rival missing its main scoring threat.

Across the three NBA games, Johnson and Jokic each registered triple-doubles, while Doncic combined that feat with a decisive game-winner, and teams chasing Eastern Conference playoff positioning, including Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Milwaukee, gained clearer separation as winning runs extended or ended on a busy night of league action.