Hawks Top Nets In 2OT

If the Atlanta Hawks played all their games at home, they might have had a shot at the playoffs.

Lorenzo Wright scored four of Atlanta's six points in the second overtime and blocked a potential tying layup by New Jersey's Keith Van Horn at the buzzer in a 111-109 victory over the Nets.

The Hawks wound up with a 21-20 record in their first season at Philips Arena. Unfortunately, Atlanta managed to go only 7-33 on the road and close out the season at Indiana on Wednesday night.

"We were 20-20 before this game," Wright said. "We wanted to at least leave here with a winning record at home."

The Hawks won their second straight after losing nine in a row. Their final home game of the season drew a Fan Appreciation Night crowd of 11,412.

Wright, one of eight Hawks in double figures with 10 points, scored on a tip-in 56 seconds into the second overtime for a 107-105 lead. George Muresan tied it with a short jumper with 3:42 left but Jason Terry scored for a 109-107 Atlanta lead.

Wright's bucket with 2:48 left made it 111-107. Van Horn, who led New Jersey with 24 points, got the Nets within 111-109 with a basket.

The Nets had a chance to tie when Jim Jackson missed a 3-point attempt and Van Horn rebounded with 5.4 seconds left.

After a timeout, Van Horn went to the basket, but Wright made the game-saving block at the buzzer.

"He was my man," Wright said. "I didn't think he was going to try to take me to the hole. But once they threw it to him, everybody cleared out. And he blew by me, and I had to recover as fast as I could."

"I jumped up as high as I could and got th block," he said.

"We've been down," Van Horn said. "We've been depleted. We've been giving effort every night, but it's tough to win when you're missing so many cylinders."

The Nets only suited up eight players, then lost center Jim McIlvaine in the opening minutes with a sprained right ankle.

New Jersey played without leading scorer Stephon Marbury, who missed his sixth straight game because of a sore left knee; Kerry Kittles, who has missed seven in a row with a sore right knee; and Scott Burrell, who had a bone bruise on his right knee.

Atlanta's Jackson sent the game into the second overtime when he hit a reverse layup with 10 seconds left to tie it 105-105.

Elliot Perry, who scored a season-high 20 points, scored all six of New Jersey's points in the first overtime.

The Hawks appeared to have the game won in regulation, leading 99-91 with 1:50 left, but New Jersey went on an 8-0 run in the final 1:25, tying it on one of two free throws by Kendall Gill with 27.8 seconds left.

Terry, scoreless in the opening half, and LaPhonso Ellis led Atlanta with 16 points apiece. Jackson had 15 points, Bimbo Coles 14 and Alan Henderson 13. Dikembe Mutombo had 22 rebounds and seven blocked shots to go with 13 points and Dion Glover added 10 points.

Lucious Harris had a season-high 22 points for the Nets, who had six players in double figures. Gill added 15 points, Johnny Newman 14 and Muresan a season-high 11.

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