ATLANTA - Garrett Temple knew the Brooklyn Nets would need extra time to mesh after undergoing a full roster rebuild and dealing with significant injuries.
"We had so many new guys," said Temple, a 33-year-old journeyman in his first season with Brooklyn. "On this team, our defensive principles are a little different than around the NBA. We have a very unique game plan a lot of the times. We are doing a great job out there and guys are buying in."
Temple scored a season-high 27 points, and Spencer Dinwiddie had 18 of his 24 in the second half as the Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-118 Wednesday night.
Taurean Prince finished with 23 points against his former team and Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, who were coming off a three-point home loss Sunday to the Miami Heat but have won six of their past eight games despite not having injured stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert.
Trae Young had 39 points and 10 assists and rookie Cam Reddish scored a career-high 25 points for the Hawks, who have lost 11 of 12.
Reddish drove for a fast-break layup to cut the lead to eight with 8:49 remaining, but after a Nets timeout Dinwiddie drove the left side for a basket that pushed the lead to 102-92. Brooklyn wasn't threatened again.
Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce blamed his team's weak defense for the loss.
"We have to be into the ball a little bit more with pressure," Pierce said. "We have to pressure their passers. It's whoever is on the court has to do a little bit better with regards to their responsibility."
A no-look pass by Joe Harris from the top of the key to Allen for a dunk completed a 13-5 run that gave Brooklyn a 117-101 lead with 4:38 left in the game.
The Nets took their first double-digit lead early in the third quarter on Temple's 3. Dinwiddie went into attack mode, prioritizing drives to the lane that resulted in three baskets and two free throws that made it an 11-point game. Harris scored inside to make it 80-67, and DeAndre Jordan pushed the lead back to 13 with a follow shot that led to a Hawks timeout.
Dinwiddie quickly added another inside basket for his 12th point of the third to make it 86-75.
The Nets, who led 56-47 at halftime, outrebounded Atlanta by 12 and outscored the Hawks 17-7 in second-chance points before intermission.
"Dominating on the glass - that's been a sticking point for us," Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We've talked a lot about rebounding the last couple of days, how much that's hurt us. Collectively, I thought we got on the boards. Even in the first half when we were missing shots, I thought we cleaned up a lot of misses and it was a difference in the game."
Irving missed his 10th straight game with a right shoulder impingement and did not make the two-game road trip, staying home instead to rehab.
Brooklyn has won five straight in the series and four in a row in Atlanta.
Hawks forward Kevin Huerter returned after missing 11 games with a left rotator cuff strain but was on a 15-minute limit and did not score.
Prince, acquired in a Jun trade, received some warm applause after the Hawks showed a video tribute early in the first quarter to recognize his three seasons in Atlanta. He is starting at forward and is Brooklyn's fifth-leading scorer with a 13.0 average.