NEW YORK (AFP) — The Atlanta Hawks produced a comeback for the ages to overturn a 30-point deficit and defeat the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics, 120-118, in the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season on Monday.

The Celtics, who were confirmed as having clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed earlier on Monday, appeared to be cruising towards a resounding win after outscoring Atlanta, 44-22, in the first quarter.

The Celtics raced into a 30-point advantage midway through the second quarter before Atlanta woke up and began chipping into the Boston lead.

The Hawks kept the rally going into the second half, narrowing the gap further with a 34-22 third quarter before harnessing that momentum into the fourth quarter to complete a dramatic win.

De'Andre Hunter led the Hawks scoring with 24 points, including a decisive three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining that gave Atlanta a four-point cushion and effectively made the game safe.

Hunter was backed with 22 points from Bogdan Bogdanovic while Dejounte Murray finished with 19 points, 15 assists and five rebounds.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder praised the unrelenting support of the Atlanta home crowd in helping drive his team to a remarkable victory.

"Tonight, the way we started the game, and the way Boston started, their energy really gave us a lift," Snyder said of the Atlanta fans.