Hawks Beat Heat to Clinch Playoff Spot

The Atlanta Hawks clinched the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference Saturday as Jeff Teague scored 25 points in a 98-85 win over the defending champion Miami Heat.

Lou Williams scored 23 points for Atlanta who claimed the final playoff berth in their conference.

Atlanta had a 25-21 record on February 4 but went into a 6-20 tailspin before winning six of its last eight National Basketball Association games.

"It's satisfying to get a win and be in a groove that we're in," Williams said.

The Hawks qualified for the postseason for a seventh straight season. They scored 29 points off 20 Miami turnovers.

Dwyane Wade scored 16 first-half points on a perfect seven-for-seven shooting. He finished with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting for the Heat, who are tied with the Indiana Pacers for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Wade missed his last nine games because of a hamstring injury.

LeBron James posted 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists in defeat.

The game was tied 49-49 at halftime and 51-51 before DeMarre Carroll capped a 7-1 surge with a three pointer from the left side for a 58-52 Hawks lead with 7:26 left in the third quarter.

Miami never got within four the rest of the game.