The Atlanta Hawks got back into the win column and they'll try to keep the momentum going Sunday night when they stop by the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Hawks dropped two unlikely road contests in a row to the Philadelphia 76ers, where head coach Mike Budenholzer sat several starters, and the Denver Nuggets. Atlanta was at full strength versus the Nuggets, but it rebounded with a 96-87 victory over the Phoenix Suns Friday.
Paul Millsap supplied 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists to lead the Hawks in a fourth-quarter comeback. Kyle Korver posted 14 points and Al Horford contributed 12 points with seven rebounds for Atlanta.
"We got easier looks as the game went on," Korver said. "Once we hit a couple, it kind of rolled for us."
Phoenix led by two with under eight minutes left in the fourth when Millsap fired in a 3-pointer that started a string of three straight from beyond the arc for Atlanta that gave it an 86-79 lead.
Korver and Millsap later wrapped 3s around a Marcus Morris jumper that pushed Atlanta's margin to 94-85 as the Hawks shook off their surprising loss to the Nuggets to win for the second time in three games.
The Hawks, the NBA's only team to clinch a playoff berth, will visit the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder on this sojourn.
The Lakers have lost six of their last seven and three of four at home. After a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the Lakers fell to the New York Knicks, 101-94, on Thursday.
Jordan Hill netted 19 points to lead the Lakers, while Jeremy Lin added 14 points with seven assists against one of his former teams.
"This (game) got away before the game even started. Our mindset wasn't where it should have been," Lakers coach Byron Scott said. "Our lack of focus was unbelievable."
In a matchup of two of the league's worst, Los Angeles went without a basket for over five minutes in the third as New York built a double-digit lead. The Lakers got it going late, however, with Lin scoring six points during a 9-3 run to end the quarter and bring the hosts within 80-74 entering the fourth.
Los Angeles' lack of offense continued in the final stanza. The Lakers went just over four minutes without a point and an Alexey Shved free throw put the Knicks up 92-80 in the process. A Hill 3-pointer with under a minute left cut Los Angeles' deficit to four, but Andrea Bargnani followed with a free throw that helped New York snap its losing skid.
The Lakers stunningly beat the Hawks in Atlanta on Nov. 18 and have taken six of the last eight meetings between the two. Los Angeles has won eight in a row over Atlanta as the host.
[SportsNetwork.com]
