Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Atlanta 111, Brooklyn 87
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, May 1, 2015
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #30 John Goble, #41 Ken Mauer
Attendance: 17732

NEW YORK -- Forward Paul Millsap collected 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Atlanta Hawks closed out their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets with a 111-87 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

Guard Kyle Korver had his best postseason game from behind the arc by hitting six 3-pointers while scoring 20 points for Atlanta, which advanced past the first round for the first time since 2011. Forward DeMarre Carroll finished with 20 points, center Al Horford added 18 points and seven rebounds, and point guard Jeff Teague set a playoff career best with 13 assists.

The Hawks, who were unable to win two elimination games last year as an eighth seed against the Indiana Pacers, will host the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the conference semifinals on Sunday.

Center Brook Lopez scored 19 points for the Nets, who were two wins away from becoming the sixth eighth seed to win a first-round series and the second team with a losing regular-season record to win a postseason series. Point guard Deron Williams added 13 points while forward Joe Johnson totaled 12 as the duo combined to shoot 10 of 23. The Nets shot 36.5 percent as a team.

The Hawks led for the final 45:31 and left little doubt about the outcome when they had an impressive third-quarter blitz. Holding a 51-45 lead at halftime, Atlanta scored the first eight points of the second half and cruised from there.

Atlanta's opening run in the second half featured two steals by Teague that led to transition baskets for Carroll. That run also included a 3-pointer by Korver, which pushed the lead to a double-digit margin for good at 56-45 just 94 seconds into the half.

The Hawks shot 67 percent (16 of 24) and outscored the Nets by a 41-21 margin in the third. Atlanta's points in that quarter were the most in franchise history, surpassing the 38-point third quarter that the St. Louis Hawks had against the San Francisco Warriors on April 1, 1967.

It also was the sixth time the Hawks had a 40-point quarter in a playoff game and the first instance since scoring 44 in the first quarter of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Orlando Magic on May 13, 1996.

Brooklyn scored its first points of the half on a Williams 3-pointer with 8:54 left. Atlanta then ripped off nine straight points on two baskets by Horford, a basket by Millsap and Korver's final 3-pointer, which extended the lead to 74-48 with 6:39 remaining

The Nets lost a sixth game in the first round for the first time but also were eliminated on their homecourt for the second time in three seasons. Two years ago, the Nets forced a seventh game but fell behind by 17 at halftime and were eliminated with a six-point loss to the Chicago Bulls.

NOTES: The Hawks played a Game 6 on the road for the sixth time in team history since moving from St. Louis to Atlanta in 1968. Atlanta also has played a Game 6 in six straight playoff series and in nine of its last 11 since ending a nine-year drought in 2008. ... Brooklyn played its sixth Game 6 in the first round and had won the previous five, including each of the last two seasons against the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors. ... The Nets did not practice Thursday and skipped the morning shootaround Friday. That meant coach Lionel Hollins did not see his players until about three hours before the opening tip. ... Brooklyn's Billy King was among 12 general managers who didn't receive a vote for Executive of the Year.
Top Game Performances
 
Atlanta   Brooklyn
Paul Millsap 25 Scoring Brook Lopez 19
Jeff Teague 13 Assists Joe Johnson 6
Paul Millsap 9 Rebounds Jarrett Jack 7
Paul Millsap 5 Free Throws Made Brook Lopez 5
Kyle Korver 3 Steals Joe Johnson 2
Kyle Korver 1 Blocks Alan Anderson 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Atlanta 111 50.6 13-32 12-15 34 45 3 11 12
Brooklyn 87 36.5 7-23 18-24 20 44 3 5 15
Upcoming Games
  • Brooklyn will play their next game on the road against Atlanta. The Nets have a W/L % of .514 after a win and .422 after a loss.
  • Atlanta will play their next game at home against Brooklyn. The Hawks have a W/L % of .754 after a win and .667 after a loss.