• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Hawks hope to stay on track vs. Bulls

Apr 2, 2014 - 1:56 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Hawks ended a six-game losing streak last time out and will try to build some momentum Wednesday night when they host the Chicago Bulls at Philips Arena.

The Hawks ended the losing streak with the Philadelphia 76ers in town, prevailing, 103-95.

Louis Williams scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Hawks snap a three-game home losing streak.

Paul Millsap added 28 points and 17 rebounds for the Hawks. Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, who returned from a six-game absences with a back injury, tallied 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Trailing 92-89 with 3:08 to play, the Hawks closed out the game on a 14-3 run. Williams made two key 3-pointers during the surge, with his second making it a 100-95 contest. Atlanta went 3-of-4 from the foul line down in the final 22.8 seconds to seal the victory.

"He deserved to be on the court. It was great for our whole group for Lou to have a night like that. He was what we needed down the stretch," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said.

The Hawks are just a game ahead of the New York Knicks for that eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has six home games and three road contests left on the schedule.

The Bulls already clinched their postseason berth and it's all about positioning for them at this point. They are tied for third in the Eastern Conference with the Toronto Raptors and both teams are two games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets.

Chicago has won two in a row, four of five and seven of its last 10. The Bulls have taken three of their last four as the visitor and recently swept a home- and-home series with the Boston Celtics.

On Sunday, the Bulls beat the C's by five in Boston, then, on Monday, Chicago bettered the Celtics, 94-80, at the United Center.

Joakim Noah scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls pulled away late for the victory.

Up by one entering the final frame, the Bulls outscored the Celtics by a 23-10 margin the rest of the way to polish off the win.

The Bulls also received a game-high 22 points from Mike Dunleavy and 18 out of Jimmy Butler in the triumph. Noah added 11 rebounds and Taj Gibson notched a double-double as well, finishing with 14 points and 11 boards.

"I think we're playing pretty good basketball, but I think we can play better," Noah said.

The Bulls play five of their last eight on the road.

Chicago has won five straight against the Hawks, including all three meetings this season. The Bulls have won three of their last four trips to Atlanta.