The New Year excitement continued at the Chase Center during a high-stakes encounter between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks. It was a total rollercoaster of a game; the Warriors showed incredible grit by overcoming a 21-point gap to keep the game alive. After fighting back from an eight-point deficit in the closing moments, they managed to edge out the Hawks 143-141 in a double-overtime thriller, marking a successful opening game of 2023.
This win pushed the Warriors to a season-best five-game winning streak. They are proving they have the depth to defend their championship, remarkably winning five straight games while missing key players Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins. In a grueling battle of endurance, Klay Thompson played one of the finest games of his career, but it was Kevon Looney who ultimately secured the win with the final shot.
Thompson dominated the scoring with 54 points—his highest this season—shooting 21-of-39 from the field and adding eight rebounds, three assists, and a block across 46 minutes. The lead fluctuated throughout the night, and with only nine seconds remaining, the Hawks held a slim three-point advantage. After a timeout, Thompson had a chance to tie it up but unfortunately missed the shot.
The champions got a second life via an offensive rebound, but Dejounte Murray stepped up to block Jordan Poole's attempt to equalize. Just when it looked like the game was over, Donte DiVincenzo saved the day on the third attempt, sinking a clutch long-range three-pointer in the final seconds to tie the score at 121 and force overtime.
One overtime period wasn't enough to decide the winner, as the game pushed into a second overtime following a series of critical baskets from Thompson and Trae Young. Once again, the game came down to the wire. A huge three-pointer from Draymond Green gave the Warriors a five-point lead with less than a minute left, but Young and Murray fought back to tie the game at 141 with only eight seconds on the clock.
On the very last play, Thompson's attempt from deep bounced off the rim. However, Kevon Looney remained relentless; after fighting for two offensive rebounds, he powered through for a heroic putback, sealing a legendary victory for the Warriors.