The Atlanta Hawks rested three of their starters in tonight’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers but still came out on top, 91-86, behind the brilliance of second year man Dennis Schroder.

Not too long before tipoff, Atlanta announced that they will rest Jeff Teague, DeMarre Carroll, and Paul Millsap. In addition, sharpshooter Kyle Korver broke his nose during the game and did not return.

In the first quarter, the Hawks capped off a 20-2 run to take an early first quarter lead. However, the Lakers quickly responded with a 17-2 run of their own to tie the game at 25-all midway through the second quarter.

From that point on, Atlanta took control of the game and managed to build a 16-point lead with just under nine minutes to go in the final period. It looked like the Hawks were going to cruise their way to victory, but Los Angeles did not go down without a fight. They went on a 23-9 run and cut the Hawks lead down to two after a Wesley Johnson three.

Though, Schroder, who scored a career-high 24 points to go along with 10 assists, made a crucial layup with 13 seconds left on the clock and drained two clutch free throws to seal the win for his team.

The Lakers continued to show grit by making yet another late rally but came up short once again. Their effort should definitely make the coaching staff happy, but they simply lack the talent they need to win games. For what it’s worth, the Lakers haven’t been blown out since February 11 when they played the Portland Trail Blazers, which shows that this team has been playing harder of late.

With the win, the Hawks ended their eight-game losing streak at the STAPLES Center. They had not defeated the Lakers in L.A. since 2006. They also split the season series against the Lakers and improved to 52-14 on the season.

Ryan Kelly and Carlos Boozer led the way for the Lakers with 13 apiece off the bench. Jordan Clarkson chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, as those were the only three players in double figures for Los Angeles.

Shelvin Mack put in 18 points and three assists off the bench for Atlanta, while Al Horford added 21 points, five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Former Laker Kent Bazemore got the starting nod tonight, scoring 13 points, snatching nine rebounds, and blocking two shots.

Second chance points and rebounding kept the Lakers in the game. Los Angeles out-rebounded Atlanta, 54-34, but the turnovers were certainly costly. The Lakers had 22 giveaways which led to 28 points for Atlanta on the other end. The Hawks were slightly clean, with just 13 turnovers.

It was a sloppy offensive game, as the Hawks, who are an efficient team, shot just 44.7 percent, while the Lakers hit 40.0 percent of their shots.

The Lakers dropped to 17-48 with the loss, and it only gets tougher. They will travel to Oakland tomorrow, March 16th, to play the best team in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors.

The Hawks are back in action tomorrow as well to take on the Sacramento Kings, as they continue their six-game West coast swing. Atlanta plans to rest Al Horford and Kyle Korver against the Kings as they prepare for the playoffs.