Hawks beat slumping Bucks 131-113 to win 5th straight and climb above .500

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and the Atlanta Hawks defeated the slumping Milwaukee Bucks 131-113 on Wednesday night to win their fifth straight game and move above .500 for the first time since December. Atlanta (32-31) was 15-12 after a Dec. 14 victory over Philadelphia, but the Hawks lost their next seven games and hadn’t owned a winning record since. Onyeka Okongwu had 21 points and Jalen Johnson added 20 points and nine assists as the Hawks erased an early 16-point deficit.

By STEVE MEGARGEE