ATLANTA -- Lou Williams, a former Atlanta Hawks player returning to his hometown Wednesday, was no factor for the Los Angeles Lakers until the fourth quarter. Then the veteran guard couldn't be stopped.

Williams, missing just one shot, scored 16 of his 18 points in the final quarter and the Lakers handed the Hawks their first loss after three decisive wins with a 123-116 comeback victory.

"Some of the shots Lou hit, he just bailed us out on," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "Good teams clamp down in the fourth quarter, making it hard. Lou just created on his own."

D'Angelo Russell scored 23 points for the Lakers (2-3), and Nick Young had 17 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 17.9 seconds remaining.

Williams, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, had hit just one of five shots before the fourth quarter, but then he took charge as the Lakers won the second half of their first back-to-back set of games. Los Angeles went 1-17 in such circumstances last season.

"Lou doesn't get discouraged," Walton said. "He and Nick, they always think the next one is going in. For a while there, I was wondering if the next one was ever going to go in."

Dwight Howard had 31 points and 11 rebounds, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 26 for the Hawks, who allowed a team to reach 100 points for the first time this season. Atlanta (3-1) couldn't hold a second-half lead after dominating in the fourth quarter the previous three games.

"They made it seem like we had a back-to-back," Hardaway said.

The Lakers won despite being without someone to match up inside against Howard, who had six dunks. Center Timofey Mozgov sustained an eye injury Wednesday night at Indiana, and the Lakers started 19-year-old Ivica Zubac, making his NBA debut.

Zubac finished with six points and three rebounds in 19 minutes.

With Williams scoring 11 points, the Lakers outscored the Hawks 17-6 in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter and were up 107-100. The Hawks got within 111-110 on a dunk by Howard, but Williams hit a deep 3-pointer and the Lakers pulled away.

"It was time we won one of these," Young said. "We've been in every game in the fourth quarter."

The Hawks led by 12 points shortly after halftime before the Lakers scored 39 points to pull with 94-90 going to the fourth. Young heated up for 12 points, while Russell had nine points and four of his game-best eight assists. Howard scored 10 points.

"They just played better than us. I give credit when credit is due," Hardaway said. "They came out with a sense of urgency in that second half. (Giving up) 39 in the third quarter and 33 in the fourth is unacceptable."

Hardaway, hitting 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc, scored 14 points in the final five minutes of the first quarter as the Hawks expanded a 17-16 lead to 37-28.

Jordan Clarkson got hot for the Lakers in the second quarter, scoring 11 of his 15 first-half points, but the Hawks were still up 60-51 at intermission.

Hardaway scored 16 points in the first half and Howard had 15, including nine in the first quarter. Howard finished 12 of 16 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the foul line.

Zubac had the Lakers' first four points but picked up his third foul midway in the first quarter trying to guard Howard and had his fourth before the second quarter was half over.

The Lakers outrebounded the Hawks anyway, 41-37. Los Angeles' Luol Deng had 10 rebounds.

NOTES: Lakers C Timofey Mozgov, who didn't play against the Hawks because of a left eye contusion, will be examined further Thursday in Los Angeles after a CT scan Wednesday was inconclusive. He was hit in the eye by an elbow on Wednesday in Indiana after earlier in the game taking a blow to the mouth that required four sutures. ... Hawks C Tiago Splitter (hamstring) is on track to return by mid-November. F Mike Scott (knee) isn't expected back until December. ... The Lakers, who won their opener at home against Houston, play Golden State on Friday in the first of three straight home games. ... It was the first of two games in four days for Atlanta C Dwight Howard against a former team. The Hawks host Houston on Saturday. ... The Hawks on Tuesday announced an agreement in principle with the city of Atlanta for a $192.5 million renovation of Philips Arena that will keep the team downtown through 2046.