Hawks take series against Nets with statement win

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The Atlanta Hawks are moving onto the second round by way of a dominating victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Next up are the Wizards, who finished up a sweep of the Raptors earlier this week.

Hawks 111, Nets 87 (Atlanta wins series 4-2)

Takeaway

The Hawks exposed the Nets by imposing their will on the offensive end of the court. Kyle Korver jumped out of the gates hot from beyond the arc, but it was the inside presence of Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll and Al Horford that iced the game in the second half. The Hawks shot 50 percent from the field and assisted on 34 of their 43 made baskets, led by point guard Jeff Teague's 13 assists. In a series that may have been closer than anticipated, the Hawks showed why they ended the regular season as the No.1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference.

Players of the Game

Hawks

Paul Millsap PF — Milsap dominated the Nets to the tune of 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 9-of-15 shooting. The do-everything forward was just too physical for the finesse Nets frontcourt. He dominated the block on offensive, and beat opponents to the ball on defense.

Kyle Korver SG — Korver got the Hawks rolling in the first quarter, finishing the game with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. He also added eight rebounds and four assists.

Nets

Brook Lopez C — Lopez was a bit soft on defense, but was the lone bright spot for the Nets offensively. He scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his last game of the season.

Highlights

Lopez shows off his nimble feet:

Korver started out on fire:

Next Up: Wizards at Hawks, 1 p.m. ET, ABC — The Wizards are fresh off their first series sweep in franchise history, and have been impressive in the postseason the last two years. The Hawks are deeper and more physical than the young Wizards, but this one could last seven games.

Saturday's game

San Antonio at LA Clippers, 8 p.m. (series tied 3-3)

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