Aaaaannnnd the Nets win in rout

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson watched his team let a 21-point lead slip to two and was reminded of the offensive flaws that sent it spiraling on an eightgame skid a few weeks ago.

Needing a spark on the offensive end, Atkinson made sure D’Angelo Russell led the way.

Russell scored 32 points, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 18 and the Nets beat the Hawks, 144-127, on Sunday in Brooklyn for their fifth straight win.

Joe Harris scored 16 points and Spencer Din- widdie added 15 off the bench for the Nets, who last won five straight March 25-April 2, 2015.

Atkinson noticed a different team to start the third quarter as the ball moved and the Nets pushed toward the basket more.

“I was worried at halftime. I said this game is too loose. It’s too up and down,” Atkinson said. “They play fast, and we knew we had to start that third quarter with an edge, and I felt we did.”

Atlanta cut the Nets’ 21-point lead to 66-64 when Kent Bazemore capped a 6-0 run with two free throws late in the first half. But the Nets pulled away in the third quarter with an 11-5 run to make it 108-92 after Russell found Ed Davis cutting to the basket for a dunk.

Russell then found Jared Dudley for a 3 to extend the lead to 111-94 with 14 seconds left in the third. That was one of 34 assists by the Nets, matching a season high set last Friday against Washington.

“I think just our commitment for wanting to see each other do better,” said Russell, who finished with seven assists and no turnovers, becoming the first Net with that line since Vince Carter on March 19, 2008 against the Hawks.

“Like I said, everybody is aggressive at the appropriate time but still wanting to make that extra pass for the next guy, still having your teammates’ back on the defensive end, that rotation,” Russell added. “We’re making those plays.”

The Nets also notched a seasonhigh 12 steals.

TRADING PLACES

Yankees radio play-by-play man John Sterling called Sunday’s Nets broadcast on the YES Network. Sterling, who has called every Yankees radio game since 1989, was the voice of the Nets from 1975 to 1980. He moved on to the Washington Bullets the following season before switching over to play-by-play duties for Atlanta from 1981 to 1989, prior to joining the Yankees radio booth.