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It wasn't the cruise-control win that many expected, but the Atlanta Hawks emerged victorious over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night by a final score of 102-97. Atlanta trailed by double-figures during the second quarter and for the majority of the second half, but when Kyle Korver caught fire with 12 fourth-quarter points and Jeff Teague punctuated the night with a dunk of epic proportions to give the Hawks a seven-point lead with 27 seconds remaining, the win was in hand.
Teague's performance wasn't without blemish, as he committed seven turnovers, but the point guard finished with a team-high 22 points (on 7 for 10 shooting) and dished out 8 assists in addition to his game-clinching dunk. The aforementioned Kyle Korver continued his incredibly hot shooting with 14 points on 4 for 6 shooting and 3 for 5 from 3-point land, and Paul Millsap used 12 points in the first quarter to finish with 17 points and 8 rebounds.
In addition, Dennis Schröder provided the Hawks with a big-time lift off the bench, especially in the second half, scoring 8 points and dishing out 5 assists (with no turnovers) in 15 minutes of action. Thursday's effort may have been the best in the young point guard's career with the Hawks, and that is incredibly encouraging. DeMarre Carroll scored 15 points (with a game-high +15) and played quality perimeter defense (as always) in the win, and it was a complete team effort.
The Hawks improve to 28-35 on the season with the win, and in turn, form a "winning streak" for the first time in more than a calendar month. Atlanta will return to the court on Saturday, as they host the Denver Nuggets at 7:30 pm ET at Philips Arena.