LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Paul Millsap’s 37 points included the go-ahead basket in the fourth overtime Sunday as the Atlanta Hawks withstood 45 points from Carmelo Anthony in a 142-139 triumph over the New York Knicks.
Millsap grabbed a loose ball under the basket as the shot clock was running out and rose for a basket that put the Hawks up 141-139 with 27 seconds left.
He played 60.07 minutes and added 19 rebounds and seven assists.
“There was no chance I was coming out,” said Millsap, who played 20 minutes in overtime. “I’ve never played 60 minutes of basketball.”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was happy to let Millsap keep rolling.
“He seemed like he was in a good place,” Budenholzer said. “I asked him a couple times how he was feeling and he said OK. He did not want to come out and I’m going with Paul in that case.”
Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder made one of two free throws with 10.2 seconds left, which gave New York one more chance, but Courtney Lee missed two three-pointers in the final eight seconds amid celebrations by fans in Atlanta.
Kent Bazemore scored 24 points, pulled down seven rebounds and handed out nine assists for the Hawks. Schroder contributed 23 points and 15 assists.
Anthony was 18-for-36 from the floor with six rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 12.9 seconds left in the third overtime.
Kristaps Porzinga scored 15 before fouling out. Joakim Noah, who also fouled out, had 14 rebounds for the Knicks, who were without guard Derrick Rose because of an ankle injury.
New York forced overtime when Anthony scored on a drive to the basket with 2.6 seconds left in regulation to knot the score at 104-104.
Millsap missed a driving hook shot at the buzzer.
New York forced a second overtime when Anthony made a baseline jumper with 6.9 seconds left. Schroder and Dwight Howard both then missed for Atlanta.
Lee sent the game to a third overtime when he connected on a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining.
“They made a lot of big shots,” New York coach Jeff Hornacek said. “We had a couple of looks to send it to a fifth overtime. (I’m) proud of the guys the way they kept playing.
“They played through a lot of things tonight.”
Anthony and Lee were irked by a lack of foul calls on the Hawks.
“It is only going to make us better,” Lee said.
It was the Knicks’ only other four-overtime game was on January 23, 1951, when they lost to the Rochester Royals 102-92.
The Hawks beat the Utah Jazz in quadruple overtime on March 25, 2012.
NBA results:
Atlanta 142, New York 139, 4OT
Cleveland 107, Oklahoma City 91
Indiana 120, Houston 101
Orlando 114, Toronto 113
Washington 107, New Orleans 94
Chicago 121, Philadelphia 108
Dallas 105, San Antonio 101
Golden State 113, Portland 111
