RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Something had to give when a team that can't
win on the road played a team that can't win at home.
Behind Lorenzen Wright's season-high 23 points and 12 rebounds, the Atlanta Hawks snapped a 22-game road losing streak with a
102-75 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
The 27-point win was the largest margin of victory for the Hawks
since they beat the Clippers 103-74 on Feb. 27, 1999.
"We knew if we came out and played aggressive, we would
probably get a win here," Wright said. "We had 22 consecutive
road losses, but we had to do something."
Alan Henderson had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who
had lost eight straight road games this season and hadn't won away
from home since Feb. 25 in Seattle. It was the franchise's longest
road losing streak since the 1975-76 Hawks lost 29 consecutive away
games in a span of two seasons.
"I'm happy for the guys," Atlanta coach Lon Kruger said. "There have been a lot of long rides home. This one will be enjoyable. The long losing streak goes into last season and a lot of these guys have been a part of it. It was nice to get a win on the road."
Rod Strickland scored 17 points for Washington, which missed the opportunity to earn back-to-back wins for the first time this season. The Wizards have won just two of seven home games.
The game, which featured two of the worst offensive teams in the
NBA, was decided by the halftime. Atlanta broke the game open by
holding Washington to two field goals the final 8 1/2 minutes of
the second quarter. The Wizards only points during that stretch
were a layup by Mitch Richmond and a three-point play by Richard
Hamilton.
The Hawks closed the quarter with a 20-5 run to build a 50-30
halftime lead and weren't threatened in the second half.
Atlanta earned its first road win of the season without its
leading scorer Jim Jackson, who was placed on the injured list
Friday with a sprained right knee. The Hawks, who started the
season 0-7, have won two of their last four games.
The Wizards shot 33 percent from the field and were outrebounded
50-38.
"We're extremely discouraged by the way we performed,"
Washington Coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We feel there is no
excuse. We have nobody to blame but ourselves."
Game notes Washington traded forwards Cherokee Parks and Obinna Ekezie
to the Los Angeles Clippers for forward Tyrone Nesby before the
game. "This was a position we needed to help, and that's what
we're trying to do," GM Wes Unseld said. ... Atlanta activated
guard Dion Glover from the injured list before the game. Glover had
been sidelined since Oct. 30 with a stress fracture in his left
foot. ... Gar Heard, an assistant coach with the Hawks, returned to
the MCI Center for the first time since he was fired as the Wizards
head coach. ... Richmond played for Kruger at Kansas State from
1986-88. This is the first time they have faced each other in the
NBA.
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NBA Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
Clippers send Nesby to Wizards for Parks, Ekezie
RECAPS
Atlanta 102 Washington 75
Boston 87 Cleveland 72
Milwaukee 102 Miami 101
Utah 98 New Jersey 92
Dallas 107 Toronto 93
Minnesota 96 Chicago 76
Sacramento 88 Houston 81
Seattle 105 Portland 93
LA Lakers 124 Indiana 107
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