The Atlanta Hawks held off a spirited Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night to secure a 107-97 win in Game 5 of their closely fought first round playoff series.
Jeff Teague put up 20 points and eight assists while Al Horford added 20 points and 15 rebounds as the Hawks got contributions right across the roster as ever to close the game out and take a series lead heading back to Brooklyn for Game 6.
DeMarre Carroll had 24 points while Kyle Korver went 5-for-12 from beyond the arc for his 17 points as the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference continue to fight to avoid a shock upset in the opening round.
The two teams traded big time plays throughout the fourth quarter with Joe Johnson delivering some long threes to cut the deficit, but it wasn’t to be for the Nets who suffered what could be a crucial road loss when the game was there for them to take advantage of.
Meanwhile, Alan Anderson enjoyed a stellar night off the bench with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough as Lionel Hollins’ men came up short and it remains to be seen whether or not they will be made to rue this missed opportunity to build on their momentum and take a series lead heading back home.
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