A summary of the Hawks’ victory against the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday night:
How the game was won: Second-year point guard Dennis Schroder, starting in place of the injured Jeff Teague, outdueled new Maverick Rajon Rondo to the tune of 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and six assists. Paul Millsap added a near triple-double, tallying 13 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and a team-leading seven assists.
Turning point: In a game defined by runs made by both clubs, Dallas closed the lead to just eight points with 1:51 remaining. Rondo stripped Millsap and led a fast break the other way, but an indecisive series of passes on the ensuing fast break led to a Monta Ellis turnover. Schroder immediately responded with a jump shot to stretch the lead to 10 with 1:28 left on the clock.
Number: 38. The Hawks' defense limited the Mavericks' league-best offense to just 38 points in the first half on 16-of-49 shooting (32.7 percent). It's the lowest first-half output for the Mavericks this season. Meanwhile, Atlanta shot 51.1 percent as a club through two quarters, led by 12 from Schroder on 5-of-8 shooting and 10 from center Al Horford on 5-of-7 from the field.
Next: The Hawks return home to Philips Arena on Tuesday night to play the Los Angeles Clippers.
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