Atlanta, GA – Jeff Teague paced the Hawks with 27 points and 11 assists and Atlanta fended off a late rally to top the Milwaukee Bucks, 98-90, at Philips Arena.
Al Horford totaled 26 points and 15 rebounds, while Josh Smith added 12 points, 16 boards and six assists for the Hawks, who bounced back from a home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
The Bucks had their two-game winning streak snapped despite Larry Sanders filling the box score with 19 points, 14 boards and four blocks. Brandon Jennings scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half, while J.J. Redick had 18 points off the bench in the setback.
Milwaukee's leading scorer, Monta Ellis, had five points on a forgettable 2- of-14 shooting effort.
"We dug ourselves a hole...credit their defense," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said.
The playoff hopefuls battled to a tie in the first quarter and were even going into the final minute of the half, before Teague hit a 3-pointer and a runner just before the buzzer for a 48-43 Hawks lead.
Teague beat the clock again with a finger roll in a third frame that saw the Bucks go without a field goal over the final 5 1/2 minutes, as the quarter- ending 11-1 run extended Atlanta's cushion to 77-59.
Milwaukee scored the first eight points of the fourth to get within striking distance and pulled within two possessions down the stretch. Jennings got a layup to fall with 1:20 remaining for a 94-89 game, then hit 1-of-2 from the foul line for a four-point margin inside the final minute.
A turnover put the ball back in Jennings' hands, but this time the point guard settled for a mid-range jumper that fell short.
Horford grabbed the rebound, and Smith's free throws at the other end sealed the outcome.
"They made their run in the fourth quarter, like aggressive good teams will, and we held them off. We're just glad we got a win," Teague said.
Game Notes
These teams play again on Sunday in Milwaukee ... Atlanta has won three straight and nine of 10 as the host in this series ... Horford has recorded five consecutive double-doubles ... Devin Harris added 15 points for the Hawks ... Atlanta's Kyle Korver shot 3-of-6 from 3-point range and extended his streak of at least one made triple to 61 games.
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