Hawks 116, Nuggets 98
ATLANTA -- Six victories in seven games has the defending Southeast Division champion Atlanta Hawks back in first place.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 points in his first start to lead eight double-figure scorers as the Hawks defeated the Denver Nuggets 116-98 on Thursday night.
The victory moved the Hawks (40-29) a half-game ahead of Miami and Charlotte after the Hornets defeated the Heat 109-106 on Thursday.
The Hawks were 12 of 26 from behind the 3-point arc as Kyle Korver was 3 of 3 on his 35th birthday.
Paul Millsap had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeff Teague contributed 16 points and eight assists to the Hawks' fourth straight victory.
Hardaway, who played little early this season after being acquired from the New York Knicks, got the start with Kent Bazemore (knee) sitting out and responded by recording seven rebounds and four steals in addition to making 6 of 10 shots.
D.J. Augustin scored 17 points off the bench for the Nuggets (28-41). Joffrey Lauvergne had 16 points and Gary Harris scored 15.
The Hawks made 6 of 8 3-point attempts while taking a 31-15 lead less than nine minutes into the game.
The Nuggets rallied and took a pair of one-point leads late in the second quarter before the Hawks went into halftime up 54-48.
Then the Hawks, who swept the two-game season series with the Nuggets for the first time in 12 years, took charge for good early in the third quarter, capping a 12-0 run with three consecutive makes from behind the 3-point arc to go up 72-56.
The lead was 87-76 going into the fourth quarter and the Hawks soon were able to rest their starters in the second half of back-to-back games.
The loss was the Nuggets sixth in the past seven games in Atlanta and fell to 7-33 all time on the road against the Hawks.
NOTES: Hawks G Kent Bazemore didn't play because of a bone bruise on his right knee and G Tim Hardaway Jr. got his first start. Bazemore was hurt during a fall late in Wednesday's 118-114 victory at Detroit. "We're hoping ... it will be pretty short term," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ... Nuggets F Kenneth Faried sat out because of lower back stiffness. The team's leading rebounder played just 14 minutes in Tuesday's 116-110 loss at Orlando. "It's been bothering him for a couple of weeks," coach Mike Malone said. F Darrell Arthur started in place of Faried. ... The Hawks defeated the Nuggets 119-105 in Denver on Jan. 25. ... Saturday's game at home against the Houston Rockets will be the Hawks' last against a Western Conference team this season.