The Atlanta Hawks have been streaking as of late and decided to rest two starters for tonight's game against the Boston Celtics (Al Horford & Kyle Korver). Boston kept the game close in the first quarter but could not stop Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll from giving Atlanta the boost to a 10th straight win.
Boston's success at the three-point line kept the game tied at 24 at the end of the first quarter. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap's inside game were too much for Boston, as the lead catapulted to 57-45 at halftime. Teague had 22 points and Millsap had 18 for the game. Millsap posted a double-double, as he added 10 rebounds.
The Hawks managed to give every player on their roster playing time. Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic both earned starts for tonight but only totaled 10 points. Dennis Schroder had an off night, as he only had four points on 2 of 6 shooting. DeMarre Carroll lit it up on the three-point line in the second half, as he shot 50 percent from there for the game and totaled 22 points. Shelvin Mack put up nine points in 14 minutes. Mack's minutes have decreased lately due to the great play of Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore.
The Hawks' biggest lead was 19 points. Boston was able to cut the deficit to eight but could not match Atlanta's ability to finish at the basket and prevent them from getting to the costless throw line. The Hawks shot 85 percent from the line.
The Hawks improve to 31-8 and remain first in the East. They are 2-0 on their current four game road trip and will head to Toronto on January 16th to take on the 26-12 Raptors. Toronto is 2-0 against Atlanta this season with wins on October 29th and November 26th. This matchup has all of the potential of an Eastern Confernce Finals preview. The Celtics fall to 13-24 and will face the Chicago Bulls at home on January 16th.