Hawks 111, Nets 87
Hawks 111, Nets 87
How the game was won: The Hawks led by as many as 28 points in the rout that clinched the Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series, 4-2. The victory was punctuated by remarkable third quarter. The Hawks outscored the Nets 41-21 in the period. Jeff Teague had a remarkable game – all without scoring a point. He finished with 13 assists and was a defensive presence. The Hawks also got 25 points and nine rebounds from Paul Millsap. Kyle Korver had 20 points, including six 3-pointers, and DeMarre Carroll (20), Al Horford (18) and Dennis Schroder (12) added double-figure scoring.
Turning point: The Hawks started the third quarter on a 23-3 run to take a 26-point lead, 74-48. Kyle Korver had three 3-pointers as part of the decisive run.
Number: 72.2. The Hawks' first-quarter shooting percentage. They hit 13 of 18 shots from the field in the opening period, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. The Hawks forged a 13-point advantage, 36-23, with the highest quarter output of the series.
Next: The Hawks start the conference semifinals against the Wizards with Game 1 at home Sunday.
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
