CHARLES ODUM/NBA.com
ATLANTA (AP) Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 21 points in his first start of the season and the surging Atlanta Hawks beat the Denver Nuggets 116-98 on Thursday night.
Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague each had 16 points for the Hawks, who have won four straight and seven of eight to move to third place in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks had eight scorers in double figures, including Thabo Sefolosha, who had 14 points.
D.J. Augustine had 17 points and Joffrey Lauvergne had 16 for the Nuggets, who have lost the first three games on their five-game trip.
Hardaway was given the start as Kent Bazemore was held out with a bone bruise in his right knee. Bazemore hurt his knee in a fall late in Wednesday night's win at Detroit.
The Hawks made 12 of 26 3-pointers.
Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur had six points while starting for Kenneth Faried, who was active but did not play due to lower-back soreness.
The Hawks led 31-15 before the Nuggets charged back in the second period for a 46-45 lead. Back-to-back baskets by Millsap, included a 3-pointer, helped give Atlanta a 54-48 halftime lead.
Atlanta led 87-76 entering the final quarter. Teague hit a jumper, passed to Sefolosha for a fast-break, alley-oop jam, and then added another jumper for a 101-85 lead.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Gary Harris had 15 points. Emmanuel Mudiay had 12. ... Coach Michael Malone said before the game he sometimes has to protect Faried "from himself" when the forward tries to play when hurt. ... F Danilo Gallinari (sprained right ankle) missed his eighth straight game. ... The Nuggets are 12-22 on the road. ... JaKarr Sampson was called for a flagrant 1 foul when he knocked Kris Humphries to the floor with 1:06 remaining.
Hawks: Budenholzer said he started Hardaway over Sefolosha because he preferred having Sefolosha bring his defensive intensity off the bench. ... Kyle Korver made three 3-pointers and had 11 points on his 35th birthday. ... The Hawks completed their first season sweep of the Nuggets since 2003-04. ... Atlanta has five straight wins over Western Conference teams.
UP NEXT
Nuggets: At Charlotte on Saturday.
Hawks: Host Rockets on Saturday.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 21 points in his first start of the season and the surging Atlanta Hawks beat the Denver Nuggets 116-98 on Thursday night.