Hawks' 32-9 4th-quarter run grounds Rockets

The Houston Rockets got by without James Harden just fine for much of the night Tuesday. With their engine on the bench serving a one-game suspension, the Rockets got a season-high 21 points from Jason Terry and another solid outing from Terrence Jones, leading the Atlanta Hawks on the road by as much as 18. 

But not too long after former Hawk Josh Smith taunted Atlanta fans with the shush routine after a fluky third-quarter trey, the Hawks served notice again about why they remain first in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Scott, Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague keyed the fourth-quarter comeback, turning a 32-9 run in the final 10:30 of play into a stunning 104-96 Hawks win. While the Rockets had calls go against them in the fourth, they also turned the ball over seven times in the final frame. 

After giving Atlanta their first lead since 17-15 with a 3-ball in the fourth, Teague dished a nice no-look to Millsap for the finish.  

The Hawks never looked back. Teague led the way with 25 points and six assists, while Millsap added 16 points and 14 rebounds. 

Smith scored 14 for the Rockets, while Jones had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting with eight boards. Houston clearly missed Harden's game-changing abilities late, forcing them into panic mode as the Hawks climbed back.

Following the game, the Hawks' Dennis Schroder said that the trash talk had been flowing from the Rockets' side pretty early.