Hawks 105, Nets 98
Jeff Teague scored 22 points and the Atlanta Hawks remained undefeated with a 105-98 victory over the visiting New Jersey Nets on Friday night.
Joe Johnson added 21 points, including a runner that stemmed a comeback with 20.6 seconds to play, as the Hawks (3-0) beat the Nets for the second time and sent New Jersey to its third straight defeat.
Deron Williams scored a game-high 23 points and rookie MarShon Brooks added a career-best 21 for the Nets, who erased a nine-point lead in the final quarter and pulled within one point with 2:17 to play.
Teague responded with a three-point play and Johnson's floater made it 100-96 before Brooks made a killer mistake, calling a timeout with 20 seconds left when the Nets were out of them.
Johnson hit the technical free throw and buried four more foul shots as New Jersey was forced to foul.
Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Nets finally managed to break the pattern of their first three games, when they trailed by at least 20 points in the second quarter.
Atlanta’s Marvin Williams threw in a buzzer-beater from near midcourt for a 43-37 halftime edge.
The Hawks built the lead to nine points in the third quarter but Shelden Williams hit a pair of late baskets to pull the Nets within 76-72 entering the final quarter.