The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 124-97, at Barclays Center on Thursday night.

The Nets (23-36) have had about as miserable a season as their record suggests, but they came out of the locker room playing some of their best basketball of the season while racing out to a 34-16 lead through one. The Hawks (26-33) then managed to match Brooklyn's first-quarter point total in the second, allowing them to put a 12-point dent in their deficit before halftime. Nevertheless, any thoughts of a full Atlanta comeback were snuffed out in the third, when Brooklyn managed to put 13 more points of separation between it and the visitors, setting up the comfortable win.

Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 28 points, adding six rebounds and five assists. Jalen Johnson delivered 14 points, five boards and two blocks. Kobe Bufkin and De'Andre Hunter went for 12 points apiece, with Bufkin adding three rebounds and three assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic supplied 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Cameron Johnson paced the Nets with 29 points, supplementing them with four assists, one rebound and two steals. Dennis Schroder totaled 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Miles Bridges finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Day'Ron Sharpe posted 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Lonnie Walker and Dennis Smith Jr. recorded 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Smith adding five assists.

The Hawks and Nets reconvene Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center for a rematch.