Hawks Win Again, Hang On To Top Reeling Heat 93-90
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MIAMI (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks won in a different manner than usual.
The Miami Heat, their story stayed the same.
Dennis Schroder scored 18 points, Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr. each had 15 and the Hawks pushed their winning streak to five games by beating the reeling Heat 93-90 on Tuesday night.
The Hawks were held nearly 17 points below their season scoring average, and prevailed despite shooting just 35 percent in the fourth quarter.
"To find a way to win on the road against a team that competes every night in Miami, I think it's a positive," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Mike Muscala scored 14 and Kent Bazemore added 12 for the Hawks. Dwight Howard had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, before leaving with 3:06 left in the third quarter with a bruised left thigh.
"We're obviously not playing our best basketball yet," Millsap said.
Hassan Whiteside scored 19 points and grabbed an NBA season-high 25 rebounds for Miami, which has now dropped six straight. The eight Heat losses so far this season have come by an average of 6.9 points — with three of the last four coming by four points or less.
All of the teams that have beaten Miami so far are currently over .500.
"We're not losing to bad teams," Whiteside said. "We're right there. It makes no sense to get down on ourselves. It's not like we're getting blown out. We're still a top-five defensive team. We're just trying to get the offense there. We're going to get it right."
Josh Richardson also scored 19 for Miami, which got 14 points from Tyler Johnson, 13 from James Johnson and 11 from Dion Waiters.
Miami got within one twice in the final 13.6 seconds, but the Hawks held on with free throws. Schroder swished a pair with 5.9 seconds left to put Atlanta up by three, and the Heat — with no timeouts — lost when Waiters' 3-pointer hit the rim and bounced away as time expired.
"This is where you just have to have great mental resolve to stay the course," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Eventually, you get your breakthrough."
TIP-INS
Hawks: Despite his night ending early, Howard got his eighth double-double in 10 games this season. ... The Hawks have been the NBA's best team so far this season in forcing turnovers, and were at it again Tuesday. They turned 23 Heat turnovers into 25 points
Heat: Miami was again without point guard Goran Dragic (sprained ankle) and now is without forward Justise Winslow (sprained wrist). Rodney McGruder started for Winslow. ... Plenty of seats were empty, but the game was declared Miami's 300th consecutive home sellout based on tickets distributed.
HI, MOM
The Heat honor a soldier before every home game, and choose a player to present him or her with an award in a center-court ceremony. Richardson got picked to do the honors Tuesday night — since the Heat were honoring his mother, retiring U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Alice Richardson.
HI, DAD
Hardaway Jr. finally had a good game in the building where his father's number is retired.
Tim Hardaway's No. 10 sways from the Heat rafters next to Alonzo Mourning's No. 33 (and soon, Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32). But his son had struggled in his first four games as a visitor to Miami, shooting a combined 7 for 36 — including 1 for 20 from 3-point range.
But he made 6 of 10 shots on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Hawks: Host Milwaukee on Wednesday. Atlanta is off to a 5-1 start at home this season.
Heat: Host Milwaukee on Thursday. The Heat will spend part of Wednesday handing out Thanksgiving dinners to 600 underprivileged families.
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