Hawks 98, Mavericks 95
DALLAS -- The Atlanta Hawks may be one step closer to resembling the team they were for the first couple of weeks of the season.
Atlanta (14-9) has won consecutive game for the first time in more than a month after slipping past the Dallas Mavericks 98-95 Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.
Power forward Paul Millsap scored 20 and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead another typical balanced attack by Atlanta. Four other Hawks scored in double figures, including forward Kent Bazemore (12 points) and guard Dennis Schroder (11 points) off the bench.
Atlanta, which opened the season 7-1, withstood a Dallas surge in the fourth quarter by finishing strong. After falling behind 93-89, the Hawks reeled off a 7-0 surge to regain a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
After the Hawks went ahead 96-93, the Mavs (13-10) had several chances to tie with looks from beyond the arc. Power forward Dirk Nowitzki, struggling with his shot all night, missed a pair of 3-pointers.
Dallas had one last chance in the final seconds, but could only manage a long desperation 3-point attempt from point guard Deron Williams that didn't have a chance.
Hawks center Al Horford had 14 points and eight boards. Point guard Jeff Teague scored 14 and dished out six assists.
Bazemore's 3-pointer gave the Hawks a 94-93 edge with more than two minutes to play. It was the final of 20 lead changes.
Mavs shooting guard Wesley Matthews scored a team-high 17, including a 3-pointer that tied the game at 84-44. Dallas would go up 88-84 with its 7-0 spurt.
Mavericks center Zaza Pachulia had 11 points and 17 rebounds against his former team. Nowitzki scored 13 on 6-20 shooting, including 1-8 from 3-point territory.
Dallas shot a season-low 36 percent (36-100).
The Hawks complete a back-to-back Thursday night at Oklahoma City. Dallas plays the second of a three-game homestand against Washington on Saturday.
Neither side could separate in the first half, as the lead changed hands 12 times. The Hawks did have the final push to go into the locker room up 49-44.
The Mavs welcomed back a couple of injured reserve guards in J.J. Barea and Devin Harris. Hawks center Tiago Splitter was back after missing seven games with a calf injury.
NOTES: In an effort to minimize wear-and-tear on Dallas F Chandler Parsons, owner Mark Cuban could envision Parsons in a sixth-man role in the future. "Potentially," Cuban said. "It worked for (Jason Terry)." Parsons is still playing limited minutes after offseason knee surgery. ... Hawks F Paul Millsap came into the game as the only player in the NBA averaging at least 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals. ... Mavericks C Zaza Pachulia was third in the league with 12 double-doubles. ... With the win, Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer past Harry Gallatin (111) for ninth on the franchise all-time wins list (112).