It’s a winning streak. It wasn’t easy, but it’s a winning streak.
The Hawks defeated the lowly Bucks 102-97 Thursday night at Philips Arena for their second straight win.
Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague combined to score nine straight points in the final 2:16 to give the Hawks the win, just their third in the past 17 games.
The Hawks (28-35, 18-11 home), had not won two straight games since Jan. 31-Feb. 1, wins over the 76ers and Timberwolves. It was the Hawks’ sixth straight win over the Bucks and fifth in a row at home.
Teague finished with 20 points and eight assists. Paul Millsap finished with 17 points, including 12 in the first quarter. Korver and DeMarre Carroll all had 15 points. Millsap had 12 in the first quarter.
The Hawks have made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 29 times, two more than the franchise record of 27 set last season.
The Bucks (13-52, 5-26 road), owners of the NBA’s worst record have lost two straight and five of six games.
Brandon Knight and Ersan Ilyasova each had 20 points for the Bucks. Zaza Pachulia played his first game at Philips Arena after eight seasons with the Hawks and finished with four points and five rebounds. The Hawks showed a video tribute to Pachulia during a first-quarter timeout that drew applause from much of the crowd.
Khris Middleton hit a jumper, as the shot clock expired, to give the Bucks an 88-87 lead with three minutes remaining. After Teague had the ball stolen, Knight hit a free throw for a three-point lead with 2:40 left.
Korver answered with a 3-pointer, on a second try, with 2:16 left to give the Hawks a 90-89 lead. After a Bucks turnover, Teague connected and the Hawks led by three. Elton Brand pulled down a key defensive rebound with 1:25 left and Korver hit a short jumper for a five-point edge.
Brand and Pachulia got tied up wrestling for a loose ball in the final minute. The Bucks controlled the jump ball but could not convert.
Teague put an exclamation point – literally – on the victory with a driving dunk with 27.4 seconds left that gave the Hawks a 96-89 lead.
The Hawks outscored the Bucks 21-14 in the third quarter to a 68-67 lead into the final period. The Hawks closed the third on a 9-0 run. The final points came on a Shelvin Mack layup converted after a Brand block on the defensive end. The final basket, with 35.9 seconds left, gave the Hawks their first lead since 3:06 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bucks led by as many as 13 points in the first half and took a 53-47 lead into intermission. They used an 18-6 second-quarter run to reach the double-digit advantage. The Hawks aided their cause with 11 first-half turnovers, seven in the first quarter.
The Hawks closed the second quarter on a 7-0 run to close the gap before halftime.
The Hawks next host the Nuggets on Saturday.
