How the game was won: After a slow start, the Hawks took complete control of the game late in the first quarter and cruised to a fifth straight win. The Hawks played their game, upping the tempo, forcing turnovers and making 3-point shots, and they didn't allow Brooklyn's significant height advantage to become a problem. This game was such a blowout that the only question in the second half was whether the Hawks would reach 100 points for the sixth straight game.
Turning point: The Hawks trailed 16-10 when coach Mike Budenholzer called timeout with 4:33 to play in the first quarter. Then everything changed. The Hawks outscored the Nets 42-15 for the rest of the half. The Hawks turned up the defensive pressure so well that over a 14-minute span, the Nets were just 3 for 23, with six turnovers.
Number: 14. The second quarter was so good for the Hawks that it's hard to single anyone out, but DeMarre Carroll scored 14 of their 36 points, making all five of his field-goal attempts, four of them from 3-point range. The 14 points matched the most by a Hawk in any quarter this season (Jeff Teague had 14 on Nov. 26 against Toronto, also in the second quarter).
Next: The Hawks host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena.
