NBA
Hawks Rookie Forward AJ Griffin Knocks Down Buzzer Beater in OT Thriller
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated12 Dec 2022
Before their miraculous 123-122 win vs the Chicago Bulls yesterday, the Atlanta Hawks were on a three-game losing streak and needed a win to get back on track. There have been a number of exciting ends to games so far this season, but rookie AJ Griffins buzzer beater last night may have been the best we’ve seen. The Hawks got a few lucky bounces to send the game to OT where Griffin would seal the deal for them.
Griffin was the 16th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, from the Duke University. For the season he averages 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. This was the fifth game this season that he finished with 17 points or better. He was the hero that the Hawks needed to win that game and he delivered in the most crucial point possible. Certainly a game the rookie will never forget.
NBA betting sites have the Hawks at (+5000) to win the Finals this season.
AJ GRIFFIN AT THE BUZZER IN OVERTIME FOR THE WIN
AGAIN pic.twitter.com/zDy02jm2yL
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 12, 2022
Hawks rookie AJ Griffin pulls off buzzer beater to stun Bulls
It seemed like Trae Young hit the game winner in OT with just 1.0 second left, putting the Hawks up 121-119. All the Hawks needed to do was not foul on a three-point shot and they would have a decent chance to win. The exact opposite happened when Bogdan Bogdanovic fouled DeMar DeRozan on a three-point attempt and sending him to he line to shoot three free-throws. DeRozan calmly knocked down all three free-throws and gave his team a 122-121 lead with .5 seconds left in the game.
Atlanta had just enough time to get a catch and shoot attempt to win the game. Most would have anticipated that the ball would have went to Trae Young in a situation like this. Rather, they used him as a decoy on a screen and nobody was protecting the rim for the Bulls. That gave AJ Griffin a chance to catch the ball and twist his body sideways and stayed controlled enough to knock down a game-winner. This was his second buzzer beater of the season. He also hit a clutch shot to beat the Raptors on 11/19. He’s now the first rookie in franchise history to have multiple game-winners in a single season.
