Hawks extend franchise record win streak

ATLANTA, USA – Paul Millsap tallied 20 points and 6 assists as the Atlanta Hawks won their 16th straight game with a 112-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Atlanta established a franchise record with their 15th consecutive win on Friday night and have won 29 of their last 31 NBA games.

“We made a couple of big plays down the stretch and found a way to win when we didn’t play our best. That is a good sign,” said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.

Millsap also had 5 boards and 4 steals in the win. Al Horford tallied 19 points,6six rebounds and 4 assists, while Jeff Teague added 15 points and 7 dimes for Atlanta, who hasn’t lost since being routed by the Milwaukee Bucks on December 26.

The Hawks previously won 14 in a row from November 16 to December 14, 1993, the last time they won a division title.

Thaddeus Young finished with 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds to lead the Wolves, who have dropped four consecutive contests and 20 of their last 22.

Minnesota have the worst record in the league with just 7 wins.

The Hawks offence has been superb during the historic streak, scoring 100 or more points a dozen times.

Dennis Schroder’s layup in the final seconds of the first quarter staked Atlanta to a 25-24 lead going into the second, where Atlanta started to pull away in front of a crowd of 18,000 at Philips Arena.

The Hawks began the second on a 12-2 surge, in which Mike Scott’s three-point play preceded a Kyle Korver free throw which capped the surge for a 37-26 lead at the 8:47 mark.

Teague drained a pair of free throws just before the half to stake Atlanta to a 61-47 lead going into the break.

The Hawks were up 86-77 after three quarters and the Timberwolves were unable to get any closer than six the rest of the way. – Rappler.com