There is work to be done — and plenty of it.
The Hawks went up against the two-time defending champion Miami Heat and were soundly drubbed 104-88 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. If this was a measuring stick of where the new-look Hawks stand, they are staring at a big hill to climb.
The Heat forced the Hawks into more than 20 turnovers en route to their eighth consecutive win against their division opponent. The average margin of victory for the Heat has been 11 points.
The Hawks (6-5), who had a two-game win streak snapped, were led by Mike Scott with 15 points. Al Horford had 12 points, seven rebounds and seven turnovers.
The Heat (8-3) were led by Chris Bosh with 19 points. Ray Allen added 17 points. LeBron James added 13 points in 30 minutes.
Kyle Korver extended his streak to 84 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. He is five shy of the NBA record set by Dana Barros.
The Heat broke open a close game, no team led by more than six through the first half, with a 30-point third quarter. They led by as many as 15 points in the period. In one stretch of 1:33, the Heat scored 12 consecutive points, a 3-pointer by James Jones, a three-point play by Mario Chalmers and then back-to-back 3-pointers by Chalmers.
The Heat led 48-45 at the half, thanks to a 13-2 second-quarter run. James, who was held scoreless in the first quarter, scored six of the Heat points.
The Heat played 11 of their available 13 players in the first half, and all but one scored.
The Hawks led for most of the first half. A Horford basket with 7:54 remaining in the first quarter gave the Hawks a 7-6 lead. They would not trail until a James basket with 3:47 remaining in the second quarter put the Heat up 40-38.
Horford led the Hawks with 12 first-half points, but he also committed six turnovers in the first two periods.
The Hawks played without Paul Millsap, who remained in Atlanta with a sore right elbow, and Lou Williams, who sat in the first of back-to-back games. The Heat were likewise shorthanded as they played without Dwyane Wade, who was rested.
“I’m sure for them it’s a chance for somebody else to step up,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game of Wade’s absence. “They’ve got a great team in that locker room. They all believe in each other. I’m sure someone else will fill that need.”
The Hawks host the Pistons on Wednesday.
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