Hawks top Magic, extend win streak to 9
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Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Millsap posted 23 points and eight rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks extended their win streak to nine games with an 87-81 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Al Horford scored 17 points and Jeff Teague had 13 for the Hawks, who have not lost since the Raptors dropped them with a 126-115 decision on Nov. 26.
Victor Oladipo paced Orlando with 21 points and Evan Fournier scored 18. Tobias Harris and Kyle O'Quinn but recorded double-doubles in the setback.
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"We have to beat those elite teams, like Washington and Atlanta, and we can't beat them right now," Fournier said.
After shooting 6-for-22 from behind the arc over the first three quarters, the Hawks made three in a row in the fourth as they pulled away.
Kyle Korver, Millsap and Mike Scott all hit from deep during a 1:45 window midway through the period. Teague followed Scott's triple with a runner to give Atlanta an 81-73 lead.
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O'Quinn, who had eight of his 14 points in the fourth, scored on consecutive possessions around a Millsap miss to pull Orlando back within four with a minute to play.
Teague and Millsap put the game away with two free throws apiece in the final minute.
"We needed a game like this, when things weren't falling on the offensive end and we had to pick it up defensively," Teague said. "Second half, I think we did a pretty good job making it tough for them."
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The Hawks owned a 29-26 lead after a high-scoring first quarter in which both teams shot better than 58 percent.
The second quarter was a different story, as the two teams combined to shoot 9-for-44 for 25 total points. It was 40-40 at halftime.
Fournier scored seven points during a 12-3 swing for Orlando to open the third quarter. Atlanta chipped away throughout the period and with 39 seconds remaining, Dennis Schroder drove and kicked to a wide open Horford, whose corner 3 tied it at 64.
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Game Notes
Atlanta's nine-game win streak matches the Clippers for second best in the NBA this season behind Golden State's 14 game streak, which it currently holds ... Magic center Nikola Vucevic missed his sixth straight game with a back injury ... Seven different Hawks had at least two assists.