Schroder leads Hawks past Spurs, 102-99
Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, including two big buckets in the final 40 seconds, as the Atlanta Hawks picked up a rare win over the San Antonio Spurs 102-99 Monday in a Martin Luther King Day matinee at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Schroder hit a pull-up jumper and then followed it with a difficult, high-arching left-handed layup to help the Hawks beat the Spurs for only the second time in the last 15 meetings.
After Schroder hit a pair of free throws to put the Hawks up three with seven seconds left, Spurs guard Danny Green missed a contested, potential tying 3-pointer as time expired.
LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Spurs, who were without Kawhi Leonard and saw Manu Ginobili leave the game in the first quarter with an injury.
Leonard has missed five of eight games in January, battling a quad injury. Ginobili suffered a right thigh contusion early in the game, went to the locker room and did not return.
The Spurs led 73-72 heading into the fourth quarter, setting the stage for a tense finish. Schroder scored four straight points to give the Hawks an 89-82 lead with six minutes left. He had 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Aldridge started hot, scoring nine early points and leading the Spurs out to an 18-4 lead. Atlanta endured the early San Antonio surge and answered back with a 17-5 run to close out the first quarter.
The Spurs led 48-44 at halftime.
Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points for the Hawks, and Dewayne Dedmon made a big impact off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Atlanta outrebounded San Antonio 50-37 and made 13 of 14 free throws.
The Spurs finish their three-game road trip at Brooklyn on Wednesday and at Toronto on Friday.
The Hawks entered the game having lost five of six, but moved to 1-1 through two games of a six-game homestand with the win over the Spurs. Atlanta hosts New Orleans on Wednesday.
--Field Level Media
