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Hawks outshoot Warriors in marquee matchup

Feb 7, 2015 - 5:11 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Hawks staked a claim to the title of NBA's best team by beating the Golden State Warriors at their own game.

Behind a 15-of-27 effort from 3-point range, the high-flying Hawks sent the Warriors to a 124-116 defeat in an exciting showdown between the league's conference leaders.

The Hawks received contributions throughout the roster in coming out on top of a game billed as a possible Finals preview. Seven Atlanta players scored in double figures, with Jeff Teague leading a balanced and potent attack with 23 points.

"It was amazing," said Teague of the playoff-like atmosphere at Philips Arena. "The crowd was in to it. Everyone was into it. Kyle (Korver) was yelling. I've never seen him yell. That was a first."

Korver paced the Hawks' perimeter onslaught with five 3-pointers in a 17- point effort, while Mike Scott hit 3-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc while chipping in 17 big points of his own off the bench in Atlanta's 21st victory in its last 22 games.

Paul Millsap added 21 points and Al Horford had 12 along with 14 rebounds and six assists.

Golden State got its usual big performances from the Splash Brothers duo of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry, who combined for 55 points, but couldn't quite match Atlanta's long-range success.

Thompson amassed 29 points and Curry overcame a slow start to tally 26, with Draymond Green posting 12 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in defeat.

Curry and Thompson brought Golden State back from a 70-60 third-quarter deficit by sinking five triples over a prolonged 17-7 run, but the Warriors weren't able to prevent Atlanta from hitting shots as the Hawks pulled clear over the final 13 minutes.

Scott drained back-to-back treys near the end of the third to put Atlanta up 89-83, and fellow reserve Dennis Schroder knocked down a 3-pointer and a long two to begin a 7-0 flurry early in the fourth that staked the Hawks to a 100-90 lead.

"If you control those guys, it's a completely different ballgame," said Green of Atlanta's second unit. "We didn't do that tonight. You've got to give those guys a lot of credit."

Five straight points by the Warriors, a string ending with Green's putback with 6:03 left, trimmed the margin to 102-99. However, Atlanta countered with a 12-4 sequence highlighted by long-distance buckets by Scott and Korver, to regain a double-digit advantage with three minutes to go.

Golden State couldn't get its deficit under six in the final minute thanks to the Hawks' success at the foul line, where Atlanta made 33-of-37 attempts for the night.

The teams were tied 52-52 at the conclusion of a fast-paced first half after Thompson hit two free throws after being fouled driving to the hoop with a mere 0.1 seconds on the clock.

Atlanta then began an action-packed third-quarter with a 12-3 surge before Thompson and Curry got the Western Conference leaders right back in it.

"Klay is not an All-Star for nothing. I think every shot he hit was contested except for a couple of them," said Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll. "Him and Steph, that's what makes them special. They hit tough shots at tough moments."

Golden State built a 32-24 lead early in the second quarter following a 7-0 run, but 3-pointers from Kent Bazemore and Korver fueled a 10-2 spurt that pulled the Hawks back even with 8:34 to go in the frames. The pair combined to go 6-of-7 from beyond the arc over the first two periods.

Thompson, who finished with 13 first-half points, led the Warriors on an early 11-4 flurry that helped stake Golden State to a 25-21 edge after one quarter.

Game Notes

The win was Atlanta's 12th straight at Philips Arena, its longest home win streak since a 12-game run to conclude the 2009-10 season ... Golden State had won the previous five meetings in the series, with the Hawks earning their first victory over the Warriors in Atlanta since Dec. 29, 2010 ... Golden State, which finished 12-of-33 from beyond the arc, lost for just the third time in 39 games this season when making 10 or more 3-pointers ... Green's previous career best for rebounds was 14, set against New Orleans on Dec. 4 ... Teague went 11-of-11 from the foul line.