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Spurs 105, Hawks 79
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
ATLANTA — San Antonio used the inside-out punch of center Tim Duncan and guard Patty Mills to
prey on the injury-depleted Atlanta Hawks and take a 105-79 win on Friday.
The 6-foot-11 Duncan scored 17 points and had 16 rebounds for his 17th double-double and Mills
scored 18 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, as the Spurs swept the season series
against Atlanta.
Atlanta, playing without injured centers Al Horford and Pero Antic, had no answer for Duncan.
The Hawks gave Gustavo Ayon his fourth start at center and tried to use veteran Elton Brand to
help, but neither could do much defensively to slow Duncan.
The injury issue grew worse for Atlanta in the third period when point guard Jeff Teague was
taken to the locker room after spraining his right ankle.
Atlanta (22-20) was led by forward Paul Millsap with 15 points and eight rebounds. Guard Lou
Williams had 12 points and seven assists and guard Mike Scott scored 10. It was the lowest
offensive night of the season for the Hawks, four points fewer than they scored in a loss to
Houston on Jan. 10. The Hawks trailed by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter.
San Antonio (33-10) also got 18 points from forward Boris Diaw and 11 points and seven assists
from guard Tony Parker.
The Spurs entered the game having lost two of their last three, but found a remedy for their
malaise against the injury-depleted Hawks, who had only 10 available players and were without two
starters.
The Spurs swept the season series against Atlanta, which is coached by former Spurs assistant
Mike Budenholzer. San Antonio won the first meeting 102-100 on Dec. 2.
The Spurs took control of the game in the first quarter with a 21-7 run after the Hawks grabbed
their only lead at 7-6. Guard Patty Mills was three of four on 3-pointers in the quarter for nine
points as San Antonio shot 52.2 percent from the field in taking a 27-14 lead.
Atlanta had a brief rally and closed to 32-21 with 8:52 left in the first half, only to have
San Antonio distance itself with an 8-0 run, punctuated by a technical foul on Budenholzer.
Duncan had 14 points and 11 rebounds as San Antonio, which made seven of nine 3-pointers, led
55-34 at intermission.
NOTES: Atlanta G Kyle Korver made a 3-point field goal in his 111th consecutive game to extend
his NBA record. Korver removed the suspense when he converted his first 3-point try with 6:15 left
in the second quarter. … Atlanta F/C Pero Antic will be out two-to-four weeks with a stress
fracture in his right ankle. The rookie from Macedonia suffered a mild ankle sprain against the
Brooklyn Nets in London on Jan. 16. He continued to play when x-rays were negative but experienced
pain. An MRI on Thursday revealed the stress fracture and the foot was placed in a protective
boot. … Atlanta F DeMarre Carroll is listed as day-to-day with an irritated left hamstring.
Carroll left Thursday night’s game in the third quarter with the injury. … Retired Atlanta
Braves slugger Chipper Jones was in attendance on Friday night. … Atlanta plays two of its next
three on the road, starting with a game at Milwaukee on Saturday. San Antonio plays again Sunday
at Miami, the second of three straight road games.
