Hawks 109, Rockets 97
ATLANTA -- Reserve guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder combined for 34 points and sparked a fourth-quarter rally to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-97 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Hardaway scored 20 points, his second straight 20-point game, and Schroder scored 14 points with four assists, to spark a 23-12 fourth-quarter run that broke the game open.
The win was Atlanta's fifth straight over Houston and gave the Hawks a 2-0 sweep of the season series. The Hawks have won five in a row, eight of their last nine and improved to a season-best 12-over .500.
Atlanta (41-29) also got 22 points and nine rebounds from center Al Horford, 11 points from guard Kyle Korver and 10 points, five assists and five steals from forward Thabo Sefolosha.
Houston (35-35) was led by guard Michael Beasley, who scored a season-high 30 points, and guard James Harden, who scored 25 points but committed two crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter than enabled Atlanta to put the game away.
The Rockets also got 13 points from center Donatas Motiejunas. Center Dwight Howard was limited to eight points, but had 17 rebounds.
The first half was a game of runs.
Houston led 10-4 early, but Atlanta scored 11 unanswered points to take the lead. The Hawks, led by Hardaway's eight points, closed the period with a 26-6 run and led 30-16 after the first quarter.
Houston turned things around in the second quarter. Beasley came off the bench to score 11 and Harden warmed up to score 14 of his 16 first-half points. The Rockets used a 19-2 run and led 58-52 at halftime.
The Rockets extended their lead to 62-54 in the third quarter but Atlanta scrambled back behind three 3-pointers by Korver. Houston led 83-82 after three quarters.
NOTES: Houston F Sam Dekker was unavailable for the fourth straight game because of soreness in his lower back. The rookie has missed 48 games with injuries this season. ... Houston C Dwight Howard played at Southwest Atlanta Christian School and was Georgia's Mr. Basketball before skipping college for the NBA. ... Atlanta G Kent Bazemore was a game-time decision because of a bone bruise that forced him to miss the March 17 game against Denver. Tim Hardaway Jr. got the start in his place. ... Atlanta is trying to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would enable the Hawks to avoid a matchup with Cleveland until the conference finals. ... Atlanta hosts Washington on Monday night. Houston plays at Oklahoma City on Tuesday.