Hardaway blows Spurs away

ATLANTA HAWKS	SAN ANTONIO SPURS
114	112 (OT)

Once the shots started to fall for Tim Hardaway Jr, he was simply unstoppable.

The result was the end of a frustrating losing streak and perhaps some momentum to start the new year.

Hardaway (above) was 11-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 on three-pointers to tie his career high with 29 points.

The 24-year-old point guard also made the go-ahead free- throw in overtime to help the Atlanta Hawks break an 11-game losing streak against San Antonio, beating the Spurs 114-112 in overtime at the Philips Arena yesterday morning (Singapore time).

San Antonio had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Kawhi Leonard's lay-up rolled around the rim and spun out.

"Once you make one and then make another one, everything seems to come," Hardaway said.

"We came out today and played with a lot of pride."

Hardaway scored 21 points in the second half and scored the first eight points in overtime.

He made the first of two free- throws with 10.8 seconds left in overtime to put Atlanta ahead for good.

He was able to get to the line when he hustled for a rebound following Paul Millsap's miss and drew the non-shooting foul.

Millsap scored a season-high 32 points, including 17 in a row in the third and fourth quarters, to keep the Hawks within reach.

Millsap had three three-pointers, including two to end the third period, and added 13 rebounds and three assists.

"(Millsap) did a great job. So did Hardaway," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.

"Both of them were great down the stretch."

Atlanta (18-16) won their third straight game and beat San Antonio for the first time since 2010. The Hawks also received 16 points and 10 assists from Dennis Schroder and Kyle Korver added 14 points with four three-pointers.

It was the first time in five tries that Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer has beaten his former boss, for whom he was an assistant for 19 seasons.

"I'm happy for him," Popovich said. "It was a great game.

"Guys played well. If we're going to lose, it's good to feel like somebody on the other end was made happy. It was a good win for those guys.

"It would have been a good win for us. I thought both teams played pretty well."

San Antonio (27-7) had their four-game winning streak broken. The Spurs were led by LaMarcus Aldridge with 27 points and 13 rebounds and Tony Parker with 22 points and six assists.

Millsap said: "It was great to get this win against a really good team.

"It's good to get it for Bud. He's happy to have it under his belt."

Atlanta have now won three in a row for the first time since their win on Nov 16 capped a six-game winning streak.

But Hardaway was reluctant to say whether the team have turned the corner.

"That's tough to say," Hardaway said. "But we've started 2017 in the right direction." 
- REUTERS

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OTHER RESULTS

LA Lakers 114 Toronto 123, Minnesota 89 Portland 95, Miami 98 Detroit 107, Indiana 117 Orlando 104.