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Horford lifts Hawks over Bucks

Feb 24, 2013 - 6:09 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Al Horford scored the go-ahead basket with 5.9 seconds remaining, capping a fourth-quarter comeback that lifted the Atlanta Hawks to a 103-102 decision over the Milwaukee Bucks from the Bradley Center.

Both Horford and Jeff Teague finished with 23 points for the Hawks, who trailed by 10 points with 6 1/2 minutes remaining before outscoring Milwaukee by a 20-9 margin the rest of the way. Horford added 11 rebounds on the night, and Atlanta also received big efforts from Devin Harris and Josh Smith to notch its fourth victory in five games.

"This win, hopefully it will get us started in the right direction," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "This is a long road trip for us, we'll be on the road for 11 days. This is the first of six and it was just a real quality win."

Harris poured in 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with Smith pulling down 13 rebounds to go along with 15 points.

J.J. Redick scored 16 points in his Milwaukee debut, but the trade-deadline acquisition's presence wasn't quite enough to prevent the slumping Bucks from a third straight defeat and seventh setback in their last eight tilts.

Ersan Ilyasova paced Milwaukee with 19 points, with Larry Sanders amassing 12 points and 19 rebounds in a losing cause.

"Not a lot of great execution down the stretch for us," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said.

The Bucks appeared on their way to reversing their recent fortunes after Ilyasova's jumper with 6:43 to go staked his team to a 93-83 lead, but Milwaukee went cold thereafter and the Hawks capitalized.

Harris scored the first five points of a 8-2 spurt that Horford capped with a dunk to cut the deficit to 95-91 with 4:41 left. Milwaukee upped the margin to seven just over a minute later, but Harris and Smith drained threes on back- to-back possessions before another Horford dunk put Atlanta up 101-100 with 1:28 to go.

The score would stay that way until the final stages, when Milwaukee's Monta Ellis beat Smith off the drive and scored with 10.8 seconds on the clock for a 102-101 Bucks' edge.

Following a timeout, Atlanta worked the ball inside to Horford, who put home a short hook before Ellis misfired at the buzzer as time expired.

Milwaukee jumped out to a 27-19 lead after one quarter largely by dominating the glass, with Sanders and John Henson both active on the boards to help the Bucks record an 8-0 advantage in second-chance points for the period. The Hawks began the second quarter with a 10-2 run, however, to draw even, and went into the break ahead by a 54-53 count behind 14 points from Teague.

The contest continued to be tight throughout the third quarter, with neither team in front by more than four points. Milwaukee began to assert control in the fourth, however, putting together a 9-0 burst culminating in Mike Dunleavy's jumper that resulted in an 89-79 lead with 8:24 left to play.

Game Notes

Sanders' 19 rebounds were one short of a career high, set at Boston on Dec. 21 ... Ellis finished with 14 points and 10 assists ... The Hawks held out guard DeShawn Stevenson, who's been dealing with knee problems all throughout the season, for rest purposes after he played 34 minutes in Friday's win over Sacramento ... Milwaukee also acquired center Gustavo Ayon and guard Ish Smith from Orlando in addition to Redick in Thursday's six-player trade, but neither played ... Horford got five stitches above his eye after the game.