ATLANTA -- Six victories in seven games has the defending Southeast Division champion Atlanta Hawks back in first place.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 points in his first start to lead eight double-figure scorers as the Hawks defeated the Denver Nuggets 116-98 on Thursday night.

The victory moved the Hawks (40-29) a half-game ahead of Miami and Charlotte after the Hornets defeated the Heat 109-106 on Thursday.

Asked if he was keeping track of the standings with the playoff approaching, the Hawks' Al Horford admitted, "I'm looking."

Paul Millsap had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeff Teague contributed 16 points and eight assists to the Hawks' fourth straight victory.

"We're playing as a team. We've just left our egos in the locker room lately," Teague said. "I think we're a really good team and can do some damage in the playoffs if we keep playing like this. It's fun."

The Hawks, who reached in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, were 12 of 26 from behind the 3-point arc as Kyle Korver was 3 of 3 on his 35th birthday and Hardaway was one of three players to connect twice from deep.

Hardaway, who played little early this season after being acquired from the New York Knicks, got the start with Kent Bazemore (knee) sitting out and responded by recording seven rebounds and four steals in addition to making 6 of 10 shots.

"It felt great to contribute," Hardaway said. "We're a deep team and we pick each other up. We all have our roles."

D.J. Augustin scored 17 points and Joffrey Lauvergne 16 points off the bench for the Nuggets (28-41), but the Denver starters were badly outplayed by the Hawks.

"That's two games in a row where are starting group has given us nothing," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said.

The Hawks made 6 of 8 3-point attempts while taking a 31-15 lead less than nine minutes into the game.

The Nuggets rallied behind their reserves and took a pair of one-point leads late in the second quarter before the Hawks went into halftime up 54-48.

Then the Hawks, who swept the two-game season series with the Nuggets for the first time in 12 years, took charge for good early in the third quarter, capping a 12-0 run with three consecutive makes from behind the 3-point arc to go up 72-56.

The lead was 87-76 going into the fourth quarter and the Hawks soon were able to rest their starters in the second half of back-to-back games.

"Maybe some guys are starting to just kind of mail it in, I'm not sure," Malone said. "I'm not going to stand for that. … Some guys did play with energy, but not enough.

"I hate how we're playing right now. I think we're playing very selfish, some of us. We're looking to score and maybe pad our stats. I'm going to make sure I find the guys who what to play the right way."

The Hawks are playing the right way, recording 32 assists on 40 baskets and shooting 50 percent.

Thabo Sefolosha, one of three reserves in double figures, had 14 points, while Horford, Kover, Dennis Schroder and Kris Humphries all scored 11 points for the Hawks.

"I like the way we are playing heading toward to the playoffs," Horford said. "We're not playing our best yet, but we are getting closer to that at the right time of the season."

The loss was the Nuggets sixth in the past seven games in Atlanta and Denver fell to 7-33 all time on the road against the Hawks.

NOTES: Hawks G Kent Bazemore didn't play because of a bone bruise on his right knee He was hurt during a fall late in Wednesday's 118-114 victory at Detroit. "We're hoping ... it will be pretty short term," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ... Nuggets F Kenneth Faried sat out because of lower back stiffness. The team's leading rebounder played just 14 minutes in Tuesday's 116-110 loss at Orlando. "It's been bothering him for a couple of weeks," coach Mike Malone said. F Darrell Arthur started in place of Faried. ... The Hawks defeated the Nuggets 119-105 in Denver on Jan. 25. ... Saturday's game at home against the Houston Rockets will be the Hawks' last against a Western Conference team this season.