In a season already full of milestones, few stick out more than what the Hawks accomplished Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena.
The Hawks finally found the answers for a Chicago Bulls team that has confounded them for years.
The Hawks' 105-84 blowout win was long overdue and snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Bulls, six in a row on their home floor, for a team in desperate need of some positive energy.
After receiving a double-dose of bad news Friday, when they lost a protest to Miami that cost them a Dec. 19 overtime win over the Heat and then lost another overtime nail-biter to Washington, the Hawks were prepared to do whatever it took to get past the Bulls.
So they put on their track shoes, made sure Joe Johnson ran the first leg and blew the Bulls off the floor, defeating their nemesis from the Windy City for the first time since April 9, 2004.
"It feels great," Johnson said after leading the Hawks with a game-high 37 points, nine rebounds and six assists. "This is my first time beating them since I've been here. Hopefully, we can build on this. We have a tough game against Denver [Tuesday]. We just have to key in and try to keep home court, and when we get on the road, we'll figure it out."
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Hawks end 12-game losing streak vs. Bulls
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Hawks end 12-game losing streak vs. Bulls
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Hawks end 12-game losing streak vs. Bulls
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Captain Johnson leads team with sharp play
Hawks captain Joe Johnson didn't just lead by example in Sunday's win over Chicago at Philips Arena.
He led in nearly every statistical category as well. He led all scorers with 37 points and also led the Hawks in rebounds (nine) and assists (six). But the biggest contribution he made was getting the Hawks off to a fantastic start, scoring 19 points in the first quarter as the Hawks took a 19-point lead that they never surrendered.
"Joe went at us early, which helped blow the game open, and then it was tough for us to get back in it," Bulls forward Andres Nocioni said. "The game got out of reach early and we just didn't have an answer for them today."
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