A brief recap of the Hawks’ sixth consecutive victory, against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday at Philips Arena:
How the game was won: Paul Millsap scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half, when the Hawks were sloppy at times but never enough for the Nuggets to seriously threaten the 21-point lead that Atlanta built up by halftime. The Hawks' sixth consecutive victory looked a bit like the previous four in that Atlanta stretched its streak of double-digit 3-pointers made to five games (with 10). Millsap made four 3-pointers, and Kyle Korver (15 points) added three.
Turning point: Let's point out a combination of stretches here since there was no single moment upon which this game hinged. Atlanta (13-6) closed the first quarter on an 11-2 run and the second quarter with a 9-0 spurt. The Hawks' 57-36 halftime lead left Denver (9-11) far to much ground to make up.
Number: 7. Atlanta suffered just one turnover in the first quarter, and 12 in the game, but in coughing it up seven times in the third quarter, the Hawks allowed Denver a glimmer of hope.
What's next: The Hawks will travel tonight to Indianapolis before playing the Pacers on Monday night. Then, they'll return home for games Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers and Friday against the Orlando Magic.
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