HAWKS CRUSH DENVER IN ATL

In charge of this one from the opening tip, the Atlanta Hawks won a big contest Saturday with a 125-100 triumph over the Denver Nuggets. Playing their fifth game in seven days, the Hawks were faced with a difficult back-to-back opponent in the Nuggets and crushed them with seven players in double figures and a decisive edge on the boards. For the first time all year, Atlanta had three players with 20-plus points, led by Jamal Crawford's 25, and Josh Smith and Joe Johnson with 22. The Hawks are unbeaten in three games at Philips Arena and five straight dating back to last season. In addition to the 20+ scorers, Marvin Williams finished with 14, while Maurice Evans tallied 12 and Al Horford and Mike Bibby each had 11. Horford's game-high 12 rebounds was his fourth double-double of the year. The 125 points by Atlanta were a season high, and the 30 assists equaled a team-high.