Hawks 101, Bucks 90
ATLANTA -- Jeff Teague scored eight straight points in one minute during the fourth quarter, helping the cold-shooting Atlanta Hawks fight off the Milwaukee Bucks 101-90 on Friday night at Philips Arena.
The Hawks connected on just 5 of 32 3-point attempts but found a way to pick up their seventh win in the last eight games.
Teague finished with 18 points, 12 coming in the fourth quarter, and Paul Millsap had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Jabari Parker scored 19 points to lead Bucks (30-43), who have lost four straight. John Henson came off the bench to add 17 points.
Atlanta led 82-79 with 6:50 to play before Teague took control. He hit a layup followed by back-to-back three-point plays to put the Hawks up nine with 5:50 left.
Atlanta (43-30) began the night tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with Boston and only a half-game ahead of Miami and Charlotte. The Hawks have surged after the All-Star break, winning 12 of 15 since Feb. 26.
Milwaukee is playing out the string and looked like it at times. There were careless turnovers and lackadaisical defense that led to several wide-open Hawks dunks.
It has been a disappointing season for the Bucks, who looked like a young team on the rise after testing the Chicago Bulls in last season's postseason. But they took a step back in year two of coach Jason Kidd's tenure.
Despite it all, the Bucks were in the game and trailed by only two midway through the third quarter. The Hawks ran off nine straight points, capped by a Kris Humphries jumper, and led 75-71 heading into the fourth quarter.
Al Horford added 14 points and eight rebounds and Humphries supplied a spark off the bench with 11 points for Atlanta.
The Hawks surged ahead in the first quarter on a four-point play from Tim Hardaway Jr. and a driving one-handed dunk by Horford. Atlanta led 29-21 at halftime.
Hardaway finished with seven points, ending his four-game streak of scoring in double figures.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bucks.
NOTES: LSU freshman star Ben Simmons, considered by most to be the No. 1 prospect in the 2016 NBA draft in June, attended the Milwaukee Bucks' 113-104 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. ... The Hawks embark on a three-game road trip after Friday's game, beginning Saturday in Detroit. They return to host the first-place Cavaliers on April 1. ... Milwaukee PG Greivis Vasquez (ankle) has yet to be medically cleared, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported. He has not played since late November. ... Milwaukee F Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 20.6 points, 8.1 assists and 7.8 rebounds in March. ... Bucks G Khris Middleton is second in the NBA to Houston's James Harden in minutes.