Take a deep breath because it wasn’t easy.
Lou Williams scored eight straight points late in the fourth quarter to give the Hawks a 103-95 come-from-behind victory over the lowly 76ers Monday night at Philips Arena.
With the win, Williams helped the Hawks keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
Williams broke a 92-92 tie with a floating layup with 2:24 left and then buried a corner 3-pointer with 1:49 left for a five-point advantage. After the Sixers got a James Anderson 3-pointer, Williams hit another 3 from the same corner with 1:12 left for a 100-95 advantage.
Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver converted free throws for an eight-point cushion.
The Hawks (32-41) snapped a six-game losing streak. They won for the just the seventh time in the past 27 games. They swept the season series with the Sixers.
With nine games remaining in the regular season, six at home, the Hawks have a 1-1/2 game lead over the Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks played at the Jazz late Monday.
Millsap had a double-double with 28 points, including 15 in the first half, and 17 rebounds. Williams finished with 22 points.
The 76ers (16-58) lost after snapping a 26-game losing streak Saturday with a win over the Pistons. Thaddeus Young led the Sixers with 23 points.
The Hawks stormed out of the intermission as Korver and Millsap hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut a double-digit deficit to four points. The Sixers rallied but it would be short-lived.
The Hawks ended the third quarter on a 19-5 run to take a 75-73 lead into the final quarter. For the period, the Hawks outscored the Sixers 32-20.
The Sixers led by as many as 14 points in the first half and took a 53-43 halftime advantage. Young finished with 14 first-half points, including making 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The Hawks, by stark contrast, were miserable from long-range. They missed their first 10 attempts, including all nine in the first quarter. Shelvin Mack finally connected with 5:15 left in the second quarter and the Hawks were 2 of 15 in the first half from 3-point range.
The Hawks next host the Bulls Wednesday.
Referee Dick Bavetta worked his 2,632nd straight NBA game Monday. It’s the same number as Cal Ripken Jr.’s all-time record for consecutive games played in Major League Baseball.
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