ATLANTA -- Two teams heading into opposite directions continued on their paths Wednesday.

The Atlanta Hawks won their fifth consecutive game and in the process dropped the Brooklyn Nets to 0-5.

Center Al Horford scored 21 points and guard Dennis Schroder had 18 of his 20 points in the second half as the Hawks defeated the Nets for the sixth straight time in the regular season, winning 101-87 behind a decisive final quarter.

The Hawks (5-1) made 10 of 17 shots in the fourth quarter to turn a two-point game into a decisive victory.

"We had a good effort for three quarters," Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. "Obviously, defensively we weren't able to keep up the effort."

Guard Jeff Teague scored eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and had six assists for the Hawks, who are off to their best start since beginning 6-0 in 2010-11.

Horford made eight of his 10 shots, going 5-for-5 with a 3-pointer in the second half.

"My teammates have found me when I'm open, and I've been able to hit the shots," said Horford, who has worked hard to extend his range. "I think my role has always been the same, but I've had another year in the system, and we're all playing well."

Defense, though, has just as much to do with the Hawks' victory as 59 percent shooting in the second half.

Atlanta had 15 steals, with forward Paul Millsap getting five, and generated 25 points off 19 Brooklyn turnovers. The Hawks also blocked 10 shots, including four by reserve forward Justin Holiday.

"They do what they do (defensively), and we knew about it," Hollins said. "We made plays out of it up to a certain point."

Center Brook Lopez had 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Nets, who are off to their worst start since setting an NBA record by going 0-18 to open the 2009-10 season.

The Hawks started the second half making six of their first seven shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, to go up 56-50. Brooklyn went on a 9-0 run, but Atlanta led 72-70 going into the final period thanks to 13 points in the third quarter by Schroder, who was 3-for-3 from behind the arc.

Lopez had 16 points in the third quarter, making six of seven shots from the floor and going 4-for-5 from the foul line.

Lopez got only one shot in the fourth quarter, though, and the Hawks outscored the Nets 29-17 in the final period with the game on the line.

"I think the ball movement was much better, much quicker decisions," coach Mike Budenholzer said."When you ball moves and you get in rhythm, you're going to shoot a better percentage."

The Nets outscored the Hawks 26-18 in the second quarter to go up 43-41 at halftime. Atlanta, which had held an eight-point lead, made just six of 17 shots in the period.

Forward Thaddeus Young scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Brooklyn. He also finished with 10 rebounds. Horford led the Hawks with first-half 10 points.

Forward Kent Bazemore set the defensive tone for the Hawks with a pair of early blocks, and Atlanta scored 11 points off six first-quarter turnovers by the Nets en route to a 23-17 lead. The Hawks blocked four shots and got four steals in the quarter.

"The activity and the effort, particularly in the first and fourth quarters, really allowed us to win the game," Budenholzer said.

Forward Joe Johnson had six rebounds and six assists for the Nets but scored just five points on 1-for-10 shooting.

"We're moving forward," Hollins said. "It doesn't look like it because we're still losing. But I think that we are moving forward."

NOTES: G Kyle Korver was rested for the second time this season with the Hawks playing the finale of another back-to-back set. ... Atlanta F/G Thabo Sefolosha returned after sitting out Tuesday in Miami. He scored six points. ... G Dennis Schroder started in Korver's place as the Hawks went small. ... The Hawks are in a stretch of four games in five days, playing at New Orleans on Friday and at home against Washington on Saturday. "We have a lot of games out of the gate, so we want to do everything we can to make sure we're keeping guys healthy and understanding the big picture," coach Mike Budenholzer said. ... The Nets play the Los Angeles Lakers in Brooklyn on Friday prior to a four-game road trip. ... The Hawks swept Brooklyn during the regular season a year ago before eliminating the Nets in six games during the first round of the playoffs. ... Nets G Jarrett Jack started his fourth straight game after missing the opener with a sore hamstring.