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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Lorenzen Wright understands his
role with the Atlanta Hawks, and it doesn't seem to bother him that
he rarely sees the ball down the stretch.
Wright, who has averaged 16 points since stepping into the
starting lineup for the injured Alan Henderson, scored a
season-high 24 and grabbed 10 rebounds Tuesday night.
|  | | Dikembe Mutombo gets into position as the Nets' Stephon Marbury passes off between him and Matt Maloney. |
But when the game was on the line, it was Jason Terry and
Dikembe Mutombo who carried the load as the Hawks rallied for their
fourth straight victory, 81-76 over the reeling New Jersey Nets.
"It shows how much character we have on this team," said
Wright, who scored 14 points in the first
half. "We are really building to try and have something here.
"We have a lot of young guys who once they learn to play the
game, this team could be scary. All they need is a little
experience."
Although they made just two of 17 shots in the fourth quarter,
the Hawks kept their poise, withstood a withering run by the Nets
and hung on down the stretch. The results was New Jersey's fifth
straight loss.
"When you go on the road you expect that to happen," said
Atlanta coach Lon Kruger. "You try to avoid it, but New Jersey
made a good run and I was really proud of the way our guys
responded in fighting to get the lead right back."
Terry scored nine of his 18 points in the final 2:27 to give the
Hawks their longest winnning streak since they took five in a row
two seasons ago.
The Nets held a 72-70 lead with 3:48 to play after Stephon
Marbury scored on a fast break.
But Terry scored on a driving layup with 2:27 remaining and was
fouled by Sherman Douglas. Terry made the free throw that gave
Atlanta the lead for good.
Mutombo, who grabbed a season-high 28 rebounds, added 12 points
and five blocks for the Hawks. He made a pair of free throws for a
75-72 lead with 1:13 remaining, and added two more with 34.9
seconds to go to put the Hawks up by five points.
The Nets, who made just seven of 22 shots in the fourth quarter
and were 27-for-88 for the game, made it close when Stephen Jackson
hit a free throw and added a 3-point basket.
"The only thing I can say is that this is a hard one to
swallow," said Nets coach Byron Scott, whose team hasn't shot
better than 37 percent in any of the five games during the current
slide. "This is a game we should have won.
"The third quarter, we came out and played like crap. Right now
we're not good enough to spot a team a 10-12 point lead and come
back and win. Our margin of error with our injuries is just too
thin."
Atlanta wrapped it up when Terry sandwiched four free throws
around a 3-point airball by Marbury.
The Hawks trailed the Nets 29-22 early in the second period. But
Atlanta outscored New Jersey 12-3, making it 38-35 on Jim Jackson's
3-pointer.
Atlanta opened the third period by outscoring the Nets 11-3,
with Terry getting five points as the Hawks moved ahead 49-39.
After the Nets cut the gap to 51-44 on Kenyon Martin's dunk, the
Hawks reeled off eight of the next nine points -- including six of Lorenzen Wright's season-high 24 -- to go up 59-45.
But New Jersey outscored the Hawks 21-5 in a span bridging the
third and fourth periods, and went ahead on Marbury's basket with
3:48 to go.
Stephen Jackson had a career high 25 points for the Nets, who
also got 19 from Marbury and 19 rebounds from Aaron Williams.
Game notes
Mutombo's five blocks give him 2,499 for his career. ...
Prior to the game the Hawks activated swingman Jim Jackson from the
injured list to bring their active roster to 12. ...Jackson, the
Hawks' leading scorer with a 16.1 average, had missed five games
with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
...Nets forward Keith VanHorn worked out with the team on Christmas
Eve and also was at the Tuesday shootaround.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Atlanta Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 115
Cleveland 110
Detroit 101
Boston 96
Atlanta 81
New Jersey 76
Dallas 114
Seattle 93
Milwaukee 89
Orlando 77
Minnesota 100
Toronto 97
San Antonio 103
Houston 95
Denver 109
LA Clippers 108
Philadelphia 97
Utah 91
Phoenix 97
Vancouver 95
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