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Nets 116, Hawks 100: Russell Scores 23 as Brooklyn Battles Back Past Atlanta

The Brooklyn Nets battled back from an early 19-point deficit and pulled away from the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter for a 116-100 win Wednesday night at Barclays Center.

The Nets improved to 21-22 with their fourth win in five games.

Down 80-77, the Nets closed the third quarter on a 9-0 run, then opened with the fourth quarter by outscoring Atlanta 14-3 over the first five minutes to take a 100-83 lead.

D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 23 points, plus four assists and three rebounds.

Joe Harris made 4-of-7 3-point attempts, grabbed eight rebounds, and finished with 16 points. Spencer Dinwiddie had 16 points, four assists and four rebounds.

DeMarre Carroll added 17 for Brooklyn, and Rodions Kurucs, Jarrett Allen and Shabazz Napier had 11 each.

Ed Davis grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds for the Nets.

The Hawks shot 11-for-22 in their 38-point first quarter, but just 17-for-55 (31 percent) over the next two quarters as the Nets stalled Atlanta's offense by setting up in a zone for much of the middle two quarters.

After trailing by as many as 19 points, the Nets closed the first half in a rush to get back within six points at halftime.

Atlanta took advantage of the Nets early offensive struggles -- more than five minutes without a field goal at one point -- to sprint to a 32-15 lead in the final minutes of the first quarter and went into the second quarter up 38-23.

The Nets went 2-for-10 from 3-point range in the first quarter and abandoned the deep attack in the second -- going just 0-for-2 -- as they found success attacking the rim and continuing to get to the foul line. By halftime, Brooklyn had made 15-of-19 free throws.

With the Hawks up 46-27, the Nets got back into the game with a 19-5 run that began with an 11-0 burst. Dinwiddie and Russell combined for all 11 of those points, then Dinwiddie and Kurucs split the next eight, with a Dinwiddie drive bringing the Nets within 51-46 with 2:25 to go in the half.

Dinwiddie and Russell each finished the first half with 13 points as the Nets went into halftime trailing 57-51.

The Nets surged into the lead with a 12-4 run to open the second half. Harris knocked down two quick threes -- the second tying the game at 61 -- before Russell spun through the lane for a layup and the lead.

After Dewayne Dedmon scored inside for Atlanta, Harris hit his third three in as many attempts in the first three minutes of the half, then drove and slipped a pass to Allen for a dunk and a 68-63 Nets lead.

There would be six more lead changes in the quarter before the Nets closed the period on a 9-0 run to take an 86-80 lead into the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

The Nets are in Toronto on Friday, then host the Boston Celtics on Monday,