Korver’s late flurry carries Hawks past Bucks

MILWAUKEE — When Kyle Korver shot just 1-for-5 through the first three quarters Sunday, it was easy to assume that he was simply having a rare off night.

However, the shooting guard rattled off three 3-pointers in the first 2:30 of the fourth quarter, helping the Atlanta Hawks create some breathing room before ultimately knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks 97-86 at the Bradley Center.

“When Kyle makes some shots, it opens things up for a lot of different people,” said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. “This was a good win and we needed it today.”

Forward Paul Millsap led Atlanta (44-12) with 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

Korver’s wakeup call couldn’t have come at a better time for Atlanta, which was in danger of losing a season-high third consecutive game.

The Hawks led by 13 at the break and were up 15 with the ball less than a minute into the third before Milwaukee ripped off an 8-0 run to make it a 50-43 game.

Already struggling to make shots, Atlanta was just 4-for-16 from the field in the third and missed all four attempts from beyond the arc while turning the ball over nine times.

The Bucks, meanwhile, cashed in on those miscues, converting them into 13 points. Milwaukee only shot 38 percent in the quarter but was 11-for-11 from the free-throw line and managed to tie the game at 64-64 when forward Giannis Antetokounmpo converted a pair with 53 seconds left in the quarter.

“We got turnovers and stops and we got into the open court and got some easy looks,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said of his team’s third-quarter rally. “On the other end, the ball touched the paint, the guys got good looks and knocked down shots.”

Just like that, though, Korver took over.

He found forward Mike Scott open for a 14-footer that sent the Hawks into the fourth up by two, and he gave Atlanta a five-point lead on a 27-footer just seconds into the fourth. Milwaukee came up empty on its next possession, and Korver struck again, this time from 29 feet with an assist from point guard Dennis Schroder.

“It got pretty loud in there,” Schroder said. “We just stuck with it, kept playing our way, and Kyle got hot. It’s always nice to see him knock down some shots.”

Any momentum the Bucks gained to that point disappeared quickly. While Korver was catching fire, Milwaukee center Zaza Pachulia was called for a flagrant foul after a short-range bucket by Bucks shooting guard O.J. Mayo.

Schroder hit both his free throws, and on the ensuing play, he again found an open Korver, who made it 79-68 with 9:31 to play.

“That’s just basketball, it happens,” Kidd said. “I don’t know if it was the turning point, but for us to only be down two going into the fourth quarter, we felt that we had an opportunity to get back into the game and maybe beat the best team in the league.

“We fought, we definitely did what we had to do in the third quarter, but we gave Korver two good looks, and he capitalized on it. That let them stretch their lead, and we were playing from behind.”

Milwaukee was its own worst enemy for much of the first half.

The Bucks shot 53 percent in the first but had 18 fewer shot attempts thanks to 16 turnovers. And while the Hawks were held to 39.6 percent shooting, they made the most of their mistakes by converting 10 offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points.

“We didn’t take care of the ball as well as we should have,” said Milwaukee point guard Jerryd Bayless, who scored all 13 of his points in the first half and finished with three assists. “We have to do a better job of that.”

Antetokounmpo and shooting guard Khris Middleton finished with 19 points apiece to lead the Bucks, who also got 15 from Mayo and 13 from Bayless.

Hawks center Al Horford scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Horver ended up with 12 points. Schroder contributed 12 points and nine assists.

NOTES: Bucks PG Michael Carter-Williams worked out before the game but sat out a fifth consecutive contest due to a toe injury. Carter-Williams was acquired from Philadelphia on Thursday in a three-way trade that shipped PG Brandon Knight to Phoenix. … With Carter-Williams out, PG Jeryd Bayless made his second straight start. … Atlanta came into the game having lost consecutive games for just the third time this season. … The Bucks requested waivers on Larry Sanders late Saturday night after reaching agreement on a buyout with the troubled center over the weekend. Sanders hadn’t played since Dec. 23 and has not been with the team due to personal reasons. He also served a 12-game suspension for a fourth failed marijuana test. Waiving Sanders left Milwaukee with an open roster spot.