Schroder helps Hawks stave off Suns
ATLANTA -- Guard Dennis Schroder scored 27 points and helped the Atlanta Hawks recover from blowing an 18-point lead to beat the Phoenix Suns 95-91 on Tuesday at Philips Arena.
The Hawks snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Schroder scored 17 points in the first quarter and went virtually dormant until the final period when he hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 17-1 run that put the Hawks ahead to stay. Schroder added nine assists and six rebounds to offset eight turnovers as Atlanta won for the first time since March 11.
Atlanta (38-36) got a double-double from Ersan Ilyasova, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Taurean Price scored 15 and Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Phoenix (22-53) was led by TJ Warren with 24 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Ulis added 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. scored 13 and Alex Len added 12.
Neither team had all their frontline players available. The Hawks were without leading scorer Paul Millsap, who missed his sixth game with synovitis in his left knee, Kent Bazemore, who missed his fifth game with a right knee contusion, and Thabo Sefolosha, who missed his second straight game with a right groin strain. Phoenix guard Devin Booker, who scored 70 points two games ago, did not play because of sore ankle.
Atlanta took advantage of poor shooting by Phoenix in the first quarter and ran out to a 27-12 lead. The Suns shot just 19.2 percent from the floor. Atlanta shot 58 percent and Schroder scored 13 points.
Atlanta stretched the lead to 18, but its shooting faltered in the second quarter (27 percent) and allowed the Suns to get back in the game. Warren scored on a layup with 3.4 seconds left and Phoenix scored the last seven points to trim Atlanta's lead to 47-44 at the half.
The Suns came all the way back in the third quarter and tied the game at 58-58 on Len's slam at 5:43. Phoenix was never able to take the lead and Atlanta held a 71-68 lead after the third period. The Suns finally went ahead 72-71 with 10:37 left in the game when Alan Williams dropped in a layup.
Phoenix held its biggest lead at 78-71, but scored 11 straight points to regain the momentum. Schroder made consecutive 3-pointers and Prince had a layup and a three-point play to give the Hawks an 82-78 lead with 5:34.
NOTES: Atlanta G Kent Bazemore is expected to be back for Wednesday's game at Philadelphia. G Thabo Sefolosha will travel with the team, but isn't expected to play. F Paul Millsap had a non-surgical procedure on his left knee and will miss two more games before being re-evaluated. ... Atlanta G Tim Hardaway had his streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer end at 25. ... The 12 points allowed by Atlanta in the first period was a season best for the Hawks. The Hawks held New Orleans to 14 points on Nov. 22. ... Atlanta plays again on Wednesday at Philadelphia. Phoenix returns home on Thursday to play the Los Angeles Clippers.