Hawks vs. Nets final score: Atlanta uses dominant second half to blowout Brooklyn, 114-86

The Hawks desperately needed a comfortable victory over the reeling Nets on Saturday night, and thanks to a dominant second half that saw them pull away, they got exactly that with a 114-86 victory.

After Brooklyn started the third quarter on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 57-57 for the first time since it was 20-20 in the first, Atlanta went on a 57-29 run to end the game. Much of that was created by a Dennis Schroder-Tim Hardaway Jr.-Thabo Sefolosha-Mike Scott-Paul Millsap lineup that completely tore apart the Nets. From the 3:28 mark in the third quarter until the 9:47 mark in the fourth when Millsap was replaced, the Hawks' small-ball lineup went on an 18-6 run.

The main story of the night was the Hawks' bench, which outscored Brooklyn's 53-31. Atlanta's bench was a combined +119 on the floor, while the Nets' was a -114. Compare that to the Hawks' starters, which was just +26, and you'll notice the huge impact from the bench in the win.

Dennis Schroder had one of his better games this season as he totaled a double-double with 15 points on 6-9 shooting and 10 assists. He also had six rebounds and three steals while finishing with an impressive +29 on the court. Schroder was aggressive all night against the weaker Brooklyn backcourt and did a ton of damage in the fast break.

For the starters, Paul Millsap once again shined with 21 points on 8-13 shooting, six rebounds, and three assists. Millsap had 11 points in under five minutes spanning from the end of the third quarter to the start of the fourth which helped put the game away.

While the Hawks were just 8-29 from deep in the game, they still shot nearly 56 percent from the field. Atlanta was a blistering 36-50 from inside the arc to equal a ridiculous 72 percent for two-point field goals that is easily a season-high.

Atlanta's 34 assists were the third most for the team this season. Staying in theme, the Hawks are now 8-1 when totaling at least 30 assists, their only loss coming in the near-comeback thriller against the Timberwolves.

Overall, it was a nice effort from the Hawks in a game that they had to win after a disappointing short road trip. Most would've probably liked to have seen a stronger performance from more of the starting unit, but a blowout is a blowout. With 41 games in the books, Atlanta has now finished the first half of the season with a 24-17 record.

The Hawks will face Orlando at home on Monday with a west coast trip looming.