Jeff Teague made his statement.
With so much talk about the Bucks’ guard combination of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, the Hawks guard had something to say about his game Wednesday night.
Teague finished with 27 points and 11 assists as the Hawks held off the Bucks 98-90 at Philips Arena in a key Eastern Conference game. It was one point shy of Teague’s season- and career-high point total.
The Hawks (38-30) won for the fourth time in five games and kept hold of the fifth spot in the conference playoff race.
Teague was challenged by Player Development Instructor Nick Van Exel at halftime to pick up his energy and play. The guard responded with 12 points in a decisive third quarter.
“C’mon,” is what Teague said Van Exel simply told him. “Me and him a little way we talk to each other. I knew what he meant.”
Al Horford had another double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds. It was the 27th consecutive game he has scored in double figures. The center has also recorded a double-double in nine of the past 10 games, including five straight.
Josh Smith also had a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds, a season high. Devin Harris added 15 points. Kyle Korver finished with nine points and extended his streak to 61 games with a 3-pointer.
The Hawks finished with 26 assists. They are second in the NBA in the stat and only eight times this year have the failed to post at least 20 assists.
“When we play with energy we are not only a fun team to watch, we are a pretty good basketball team,” coach Larry Drew said.
The Bucks (34-33) had a two-game win streak snapped. They lost for the ninth time in the past 10 games at Philips Arena. Jennings finished with 21 points but Ellis had just five. Larry Sanders had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Bucks.
“Not letting them get in a rhythm,” Harris said of the success against the guard combination. “Obviously, Jennings did that a little in the third and the fourth (quarters). We try to take away easy baskets. Don’t let them getting any open looks. They run a lot of stuff off each other and (Teague and I) are able to switch and keep them in front of us.”
The Hawks led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter after outscoring the Bucks 29-16 in the period. Teague scored 12 points in the third as the Hawks added to a five-point lead at intermission. The Bucks stayed even that close with Jennings scoring 11 of the 16 points, including three 3-pointers.
The Bucks got as close as four points, 94-90, with 58.4 seconds left. Smith made two free throws with 27.9 seconds left and Horford added two more with 16.8 seconds remaining for the final points.
The Hawks took a 48-43 halftime lead. After falling behind by eight points in the second quarter, the Hawks closed the half with a 21-8 run. Teague had nine of his 11 second-quarter points in the run and finished with 13 first-half points. Horford and Harris each had 10 first-half points and Smith pulled down 11 rebounds.
“The last four minutes of the second quarter gave us some momentum and in the third quarter we definitely turned it around,” Horford said.
Both teams struggled offensively in the early going with the game tied 18-18 after the first quarter. The Hawks shot 30 percent (6 of 20) and the Bucks shot 25 percent (8 of 32). The Hawks made 12 of 19 shots in the second quarter to push to the lead at intermission.
Ellis and Jennings combined to make just 2 of 14 shots for four points in the first two quarters.
“I don’t get caught up in that,” Teague said of the challenge of the Bucks’ duo. “I just go out and play. They are talented players. They do what they are supposed to do for their team. I just try to help my team.”
DeShawn Stevenson suffered a right lower leg contusion early in the second quarter. The team said his return was probable but he did not play again.
The Hawks conclude a three-game homestand against the Trail Blazers Friday night. The Hawks play the Bucks again Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.
“It won’t be easy from here on in,” Drew said of the Hawks’ final 14 regular-season games. “We have to understand that teams are going to play with a sense of urgency, particularly teams that are in the playoff picture, and we have to come out and return the favor. We can’t wait and allow teams to dictate the rhythm of the game.”
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