Dominique Wilkins will live on forever in Atlanta. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
ATLANTA — Some called it a statement game. To others, it was a measuring stick. Call it what you want, in the end, it’s another impressive victory for the team with the best record in the NBA — the surprising Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta forward Al Horford had a big night, and guard Kyle Korver caught fire in the fourth quarter, sparking the Hawks to a 106-97 win over a laboring LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at Philips Arena.
Horford finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Korver was 0-for-3 with only two points in the first three quarters, but hit two 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to ignite Atlanta’s closing kick. Forward Mike Scott came off the bench to score 10 of his 14 in the fourth quarter, helping the Hawks pull away from the Cavaliers for their sixth straight win.
James was fidgety from the outset, constantly blowing on his hands and readjusting his jersey. He bickered at the refs and even let Hawks backup point guard Dennis Schroder get under his skin during an atrocious first half by his standards. At halftime, James had more turnovers (six) than points (five).
The Hawks led 53-43.
James warmed up for the second half with a back brace and reaching for his lower back after sustaining a hard foul from Atlanta forward DeMarre Carroll in the fourth quarter. James finished with 18 points, eight assists, six rebounds and nine turnovers.
Point guard Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 20 points. He jumpstarted a run in the third quarter that saw Cleveland take a brief lead. But the Hawks answered and took an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter.
It was the fourth meeting this season between the Cavaliers and Hawks, but the first since Cleveland upgraded its roster with a series of acquisitions that included guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert and center Timofey Mozgov. It wasn’t enough to slow down the Hawks (49-12), who now lead the Cavs (39-25) by 11.5 games in the Eastern Conference.
NOTES: In Wednesday’s win over the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland F LeBron James scored or assisted on 21 of the Cavaliers’ final 25 points. … Friday’s game concluded “‘Nique Week,” a tribute to Hawks great Dominique Wilkins that was highlighted by the unveiling of a statue of his likeness. … The Hawks signed rookie G Jarrell Eddie to a 10-day contract Thursday. Eddie, a rookie out of Virginia Tech, appeared in 37 games with the Austin Spurs of Development League, averaging 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists. … Referees were Tony Brothers, Kane Fitzgerald and Kevin Scott.
