While everything might not be going perfectly for the Atlanta Hawks right now, Jonathan Kuminga recently connected on the sixth-longest successful attempt from the NBA’s play-by-play archives (dating back to the 1997-98 season). This achievement occurred during their eleventh consecutive victory.
As the third quarter drew to a close in Atlanta’s 135-120 triumph over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Kuminga launched what appeared to be either a hopeful throw or an attempted assist from an NBA-measured 74 feet, which remarkably yielded three points (refer to the video supplied).
According to the Hawks organization, this shot is the most distant ever made by a player on their roster, surpassing a previous record held by Jason Terry with a 63-foot make on January 5, 2000.
You are welcome to decide if Kuminga intended for this particular shot to enter the basket, but he certainly seemed to be aiming for an unguarded Jock Landale near the rim. And his reaction clearly showed surprise when it actually scored.
Regardless of his actual intention, the successful shot perfectly illustrates the current situation for the Hawks these days. With their win on Wednesday, their season record stands at 38-31, placing them in a tie with the Miami Heat for the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference. They are also only half a game behind the sixth-placed Orlando Magic for the final guaranteed playoff berth.
Kuminga joined the Atlanta team at the NBA trade deadline following four and a half seasons with the Golden State Warriors, relocating eastward with Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. Wednesday’s contest marked his sixth appearance for the franchise, and in his initial five games, he has averaged 14.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
