Hawks 124, 76ers 86
PHILADELPHIA -- Forward Mike Scott and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 points each and the Atlanta Hawks led whistle to whistle en route to a 124-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Guard-forward Kent Bazemore, guard Dennis Schroeder, forward Thabo Sefolosha and forward-center Mike Muscala all scored 12 points each for the Hawks, who won their second straight game, improved to 29-22 overall and saw eight players reach double figures.
Guard Jeff Teague and forward Paul Millsap also scored 10 apiece for the Hawks.
Atlanta led by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter.
The turnover-plagued 76ers (24) were paced by guard Nik Stauskas with 17 points and guard Isaiah Canaan with 11. Forward-center Nerlens Noel and center Jahlil Okafor had 10 points apiece.
Philadelphia dropped its third in a row and fell to 7-42.
76ers coach Brett Brown tinkered with his starting lineup and started both Okafor and Noel. These two players haven't received much playing time together because of matchup problems.
The Hawks took charge early and never relinquished the lead.
Last Saturday night, the 76ers trailed the defending champion Golden State Warriors by 13 points with two-and-a-half minutes remaining before a stunning comeback tied the game in the waning seconds. Warriors guard-forward Harrison Barnes then knocked down a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner, but the crowd was appreciative and gave the 76ers a huge ovation.
The Hawks dominated the first half and led 58-42. Nine different Hawks scored, paced by Bazemore and Muscala with 10 points apiece.
Philadelphia struggled from the opening tip as Okafor was whistled for an offensive foul just six seconds into the game. At halftime, the 76ers had 15 turnovers, five by Okafor in 12 minutes, 34 seconds of choppy play.
Atlanta pushed its largest lead to 19 and managed 15 assists on 20 made field goals.
Meanwhile, the 76ers couldn't find much rhythm offensively and hit just 4-for-17 from 3-point territory.
NOTES: Hawks F-C Tiago Splitter was out the second straight game with a sore right hip. ... 76ers G T.J. McConnell leads all rookies in assists (232) and steals (64). ... The Hawks (28-22) still lead the Southeast Division by a half-game over the Miami, but are far from the level they competed at last season. Still, improvement across the board is noticeable. "I think our defense is starting to get to a much better place," coach Mike Budenholzer said. ... The 76ers aren't expected to be active as the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 18. Nothing is guaranteed. "There is no exact science to any of this," coach Brett Brown said. ... Hawks G Justin Holiday confirmed that he will visit the White House on Thursday when the Golden State Warriors are honored. Holiday won a ring with the Warriors last season and eventually signed with Atlanta.