A brief recap of the Hawks’ third straight loss:
How the game was won: Atlanta picked up where it left off Friday night in Oklahoma City, offering only modest defense, as the Spurs shot 56.1 percent and out-rebounded the Hawks 43-29 on the way to a blowout win and sweep of the season series.
San Antonio led 59-41 at halftime and by 26 points in the third quarter, when Mike Budenholzer was ejected for the first time as the Hawks’ head coach after fussing loudly for the second time in the game.
A 20-10 run by Atlanta (53-17) after that offered a sliver of hope, but the Spurs (44-25) went on to win for the 10th time in 12 games even as Paul Millsap scored 22 points for the Hawks, and Dennis Schroder added 18 off the bench.
Turning point: The Spurs made 10 consecutive shots in the first quarter for a 26-6 lead that was hardly threatened.
Number: 4. Atlanta has surrendered 103 or more points in four straight games after never allowing 100 or more in more than two consecutive games over the first 66 games. Opponents averaged 113.5 points and 51.7 percent shooting in the Hawks' past four games.
Next: The Hawks will play in Orlando on Wednesday night before the Heat visit Philips Arena Friday.
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