National Basketball Association
Atlanta 104, Charlotte 80
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, April 10, 2015
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Officials:
#28 Zach Zarba, #47 Bennie Adams, # Eric Dalen
Attendance:
18462
By The Sports Xchange
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks have nothing to gain, but they keep winning.
Guard Kyle Korver and center Al Horford paced another balanced attack, leading the Hawks to a 104-80 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night at Philips Arena. Atlanta has won four in a row.
The banged-up Hornets were officially eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.
The Hawks (60-19) improved to 35-5 at Philips Arena. They'll have home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, which begin April 18.
Korver finished with 16 points, and Horford added 15 points and eight rebounds for Atlanta, which unveiled its Southeast Division championship banner before the game.
Guard Troy Daniels came off the bench to lead the Hornets with 15 points. Charlotte shot 36.1 percent from the field.
Injuries and off-the-court distractions are the bigger concern for the Hawks in the final week of the regular season.
Forward Paul Millsap, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, missed his second straight game with a shoulder injury. Millsap has been ruled of Sunday's game against the Washington Wizards. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer expects Millsap back for the playoffs.
Reserve forward Thabo Sefolosha isn't so lucky. Sefolosha suffered a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his right leg during an arrest in Manhattan on Wednesday. Sefolosha and center Pero Antic were arrested and charged with three misdemeanors. Sefolosha is out for the playoffs. Antic returned to action Friday.
Budenholzer continues to deal with the tricky task of managing his players' minutes. Ten different Hawks played at least 10 minutes. Atlanta is at Washington Wizards on Sunday before returning home to host the New York Knicks. The Hawks finish the regular season on Wednesday at Chicago.
After reaching the playoffs last season, the Hornets (33-46) appeared to be a franchise on the rise. They were in the playoff hunt until a late-season slide sealed their fate. A rash of injuries didn’t help. Charlotte was without forwards Lance Stephenson (toe), Al Jefferson (knee) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (ankle) and center Cody Zeller (shoulder).
The Hornets have lost three straight and four of five.
The Hawks took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter and put away the Hornets with a flurry highlighted by a 3-pointer from center Mike Muscala.
Muscala, who got the start, finished with a game-high 17 points and six rebounds. Point guard Dennis Schoder added 14 points off the bench.
NOTES: Atlanta All-Star F Paul Millsap missed his second straight game with a right shoulder injury and also has been ruled of for Sunday's game against the Washington Wizards. Coach Mike Budenholzer says he expects Millsap, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, back for the playoffs, which begin April 18. ... Atlanta F Thabo Sefolosha will miss the postseason with a fractured right fibula and ligament damage suffered during an arrest near at Manhattan nightclub. Sefolosha and C Pero Antic were both arrested and charged with three misdemeanors. Antic was back with the team and expected to play against the Hornets. ... Charlotte F Al Jefferson (right knee soreness), F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (left ankle sprain), F Lance Stephenson (right toe sprain) and C Cody Zeller (right shoulder soreness) missed Friday's game. ... Referees were: Zach Zarba, Bennie Adams and Eric Dalen. ... The Hawks raised their Southeast Division championship banner before Friday's game.
Top Game Performances
| Charlotte |
|
Atlanta |
|
Troy Daniels 15 |
Scoring |
Mike Muscala 17 |
|
Kemba Walker 6 |
Assists |
Jeff Teague 8 |
|
Bismack Biyombo 11 |
Rebounds |
Al Horford 8 |
|
Brian Roberts 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Kyle Korver 5 |
|
Brian Roberts 4 |
Steals |
DeMarre Carroll 3 |
|
Bismack Biyombo 1 |
Blocks |
Al Horford 4 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Charlotte
|
80 |
36.1 |
8-30 |
12-18 |
21 |
46 |
3 |
8 |
15 |
| Atlanta
|
104 |
50.0 |
10-28 |
12-16 |
31 |
44 |
4 |
10 |
14 |
Upcoming Games
-
Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Washington. The Hawks have a W/L % of .767 after a win and .737 after a loss.
-
Charlotte will play their next game on the road against Detroit. The Hornets have a W/L % of .515 after a win and .348 after a loss.
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