Hawks blow out Wizards for 8th straight victory

The Atlanta Hawks are on some kind of roll. 

On Sunday, the Hawks defeated the Southeast Division rival Washington Wizards by a score of 120-89 to record their eighth consecutive victory - and their 22nd win in the past 24 games.

As is their wont, the Hawks used the long ball to sink the Wizards. Sharpshooter Kyle Korver led the way with five triples, capping a 16-for-31 barrage from the team. 

Atlanta opened up a 12-point edge after its starters thoroughly outplayed Washington's. All five Hawks starters scored within the opening five minutes as the Wizards' interior defenders were stretched out to the perimeter to guard against the Hawks' five-out attack, which opened up driving lanes.

A cold stretch from the Hawks' bench allowed the Wizards to make up ground. The Wizards' defense tightened its rotations and did a better job of keeping up with Atlanta's pass-heavy offense. The Hawks scored just six points over the final five minutes of the first half as Washington got within five.

The game remained close for much of the third quarter. Both starting units exchanged heavy blows, but Atlanta's 3-point shooting made the difference. The Hawks nailed four triples, including two from Korver, to push their lead back into double digits.

The Wizards made one last push to start the fourth, but they were again buried by the long ball. Korver, Thabo Sefolosha and Al Horford each sank a 3-pointer to balloon the Hawks' lead to 13 points before benches were emptied.

Eight Hawks players, including every member of their starting five, scored in double digits - headlined by Korver, who led all scorers with 19 points. Point guard Jeff Teague recorded a double-double, scoring 11, dishing out 10 assists and recording four steals. He also helped hold Wizards point guard John Wall to 15 points. Wall recorded eight turnovers in the loss.

The win keeps the Hawks firmly atop the Eastern Conference. They now sit 3.5 games up on both the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors.