The Hawks, getting a season-high 15 assists from point guard Mike Bibby and 24 points from forward Josh Smith, breezed to a 117-87 victory as the Bucks again failed to win two straight games.

Milwaukee (21-25) has not posted a winning streak over a span of 16 games, since getting three straight victories from Dec. 19-23.

"We didn't show up in any facet of the game," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "One of those NBA games that, in my opinion, happens too often, tonight happened to us.

"They did whatever they wanted to do; they drove wherever they wanted to drive. Our weak-side defense was asleep. Their switching (on ball screens) really bothered us. We started overdribbling and getting in trouble. In general, we were just disinterested in the game."

After a solid defensive effort against the Mavericks, the Bucks allowed the Hawks to shoot 55.8% (43 for 77). Smith was 11 for 15 on an assortment of dunks, layups and shots in the paint.

"You may play very well and very hard, and he may still do damage to you," Skiles said of the 6-foot-9 Smith. "Not trying to diminish what he did, but coming off the defensive performance we just had, to come out and play like this is very disappointing."

Guard Flip Murray was nearly unstoppable while playing just 23 minutes off the bench. He hit 11 of 13 shots and scored a team-high 25 points as Atlanta (26-16) won its third straight game.

Maurice Evans had 18 points, Bibby scored 12 and Marvin Williams contributed 11 points and nine rebounds after missing the previous two games with a concussion.

The Bucks trailed by 11 points at halftime and 19 after three quarters, and Skiles signaled surrender when he inserted a lineup consisting entirely of reserves to open the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee was able to trim its deficit to 60-55 with 9 minutes 54 seconds left in the third quarter when Charlie Villanueva hit a three-pointer, but the Hawks responded with a 12-2 run to assert control for good.

Villanueva led the Bucks with 27 points and Michael Redd added 16, but they were the only two Bucks players in double figures.

"Thank God there's a game tomorrow night," Redd said of the Bucks' home matchup tonight against Sacramento. "We can get this game out of our heads."

Redd said the team still had to prove it can string a couple of good performances together.

"No more talk of we're a great team or our potential," Redd said. "We have to bust through the ceiling and be consistent. We have great nights, and then we have nights like this.

"It was inexcusable. Tonight, defensively we were horrible."

The Hawks outscored the Bucks in the paint, 50-20, and held a 44-37 rebounding advantage.

"We've shown how good we can play when we want to play," Villanueva said. "We just have to be a mature team. We've been playing well, then not playing well every other time.

"We have to put this one behind us and just build from the other night (against Dallas)."

The Bucks trailed, 86-67, entering the final quarter and had shot 36.1% (22 for 61) over the first three periods.

Skiles took his starters out to begin the fourth quarter and used a lineup featuring Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Malik Allen, Ramon Sessions, Tyronn Lue and Joe Alexander. Damon Jones entered to replace Sessions early in the final period.

"We didn't stick to our defensive assignments tonight," Lue said. "They're a great team at home.

"A 34-point win against a good team like Dallas, and we come back and get beat by 30. It's hard to explain."

PREVIEW

Opponent: Kings When: 7:30 tonight Where: Bradley Center Radio: AM-620

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