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The Atlanta Hawks are once again headed in the right direction after snapping a road losing streak with a 105-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. The win was Atlanta's third straight and draws them to within one game of the Nets for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks got big performances from several key players throughout the game but Jeff Teague helped spearhead the run in the fourth. Teague didn't start for the second straight game because of an ankle injury and struggled early with his shot. He found a rhythm in the fourth however as the Hawks overcame a two point deficit before roaring ahead by as many as 16 points. Atlanta outscored Brooklyn 34-20 over the final 12 minutes.
Five different Hawks players finished in double figures led by Al Horford's 22 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Smith added 21 points, seven boards and five assists Dahntay Jones chipped in 13 points off the bench to go along with some nice fourth quarter defense on Deron Williams. Teague scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 15 assists. Kyle Korver finished with 12 points for the Hawks.
Deron Williams scored 18 points and handed out eight assists for the Nets. Joe Johnson also finished with 18 points and went 4-8 from beyond-the-arc. Brook Lopez added 17 points while Reggie Evans finished with 14 points and a game-high 22 rebounds.
The game from Atlanta's end was a clinic in offensive execution particularly in the second half. The Hawks pushed the pace to the tune 22 fastbreak points and finished with a 56-38 advantage in points in the paint. Atlanta made the extra pass recording 30 assists on 44 made baskets. Conversely Brooklyn had 17 assists on 36 made shots for the game.
The win moves the Hawks all the way from seventh to fifth in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is now just a game behind the Nets for fourth and two games back of the Knicks who are third but have lost four straight. The Hawks are back in action Monday night when they take on the Dallas Mavericks at Philips Arena.