Booker’s 34 points not enough as Suns fall to Hawks
Apr 5, 2016, 8:19 PM
Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 5, 2016, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 103-90. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ATLANTA — Jeff Teague scored 20 points, Kent Bazemore added 17 and the Atlanta Hawks rallied from 13 down in the third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 103-90 on Tuesday night.
Atlanta avoided its first three-game losing streak since Feb. 19-22 and moved one-half game ahead of idle Boston for third place in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks began the night with a one-half game lead in the Southeast Division with Miami and Charlotte.
Paul Millsap had 17 rebounds, 13 points and a game-high eight assists and Al Horford 16 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.
Devin Booker finished with 34 points, one shy of his career high last month, as Phoenix lost its seventh in a row. The Suns dropped to 7-32 on the road.
Trailing by 13 early in the third, the Hawks went on a 47-17 run, capped by Horford’s 3 early in the fourth to make it 75-73 and give Atlanta its first lead since midway through the first. Teague’s 3 with 4 minutes to go put the Hawks up 96-79.
The Suns went on a 28-10 run to take an 11-point lead early in the second quarter, and Chandler’s two free throws made it 46-33 at the 7:33 mark. Atlanta pulled within six but ended the period down by 12.
Bazemore received a technical foul after disputing a call early in the third, and Booker hit three free throws to put Phoenix up by 13. The Hawks scored the next 11 points, capped by Bazemore’s 3 a couple of minutes later to cut the lead to two and he tied it at 66-all with a steal and layup later in the period.
TIP-INS
Suns: G Brandon Knight has been ruled out for the season because of a sports hernia. The fifth-year veteran averaged 19.6 points and 5.1 assists in 52 games. … Ronnie Price finished with 14 points and Tyson Chandler had 13 rebounds. … F Jon Leuer missed his third straight game with a sprained right ankle.
Hawks: Bazemore had negative X-rays on his left wrist after getting hurt in last Friday’s overtime loss to Cleveland.
NOT EXACTLY ART
The second quarter included 14 turnovers, eight by Phoenix, and combined 30 percent shooting for both teams. The Hawks were 1 for 10 on 3s, and the Suns missed six free-throw attempts.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Houston on Thursday night.
Hawks: Host Toronto on Thursday night.
