Matching a team record with their 14th consecutive victory, the Atlanta Hawks also made Mike Budenholzer an all-star coach by virtue of Wednesday’s 110-91 rout of the Indiana Pacers.
Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll each scored 10 of their team-high 17 points in the third quarter, when the host Hawks outscored Indiana 36-23, shooting 14-of-21 from the floor including 6-of-9 from 3-point range on the way to an 88-64 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Hawks’ current win streak matches the 1993-94 edition of the team for the longest unbeaten run in franchise history. They could claim the record for themselves with a home victory Friday over Oklahoma City, which edged Washington 105-103 in overtime Wednesday for a fourth win in a row.
As a result of the triumph, Atlanta improved to 35-8 and clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference on February 1, meaning Hawks’ coach Budenholzer and his staff will coach the East against the Western Conference in the 64th NBA All-Star Game on February 15 in New York.
Budenholzer, in his second season guiding the Hawks, has a 73-52 record with Atlanta and becomes the first Hawks coach to coach an All-Star squad since Lenny Wilkens in 1994.
Al Horford scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and passed off five assists while Paul Millsap added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks.
Reserve C.J. Miles led Indiana with 18 points. The Pacers have lost six in a row and fell to 15-29. – Agence France-Presse
