The Atlanta Hawks are on a roll with 6 straight wins, but can they keep it going?

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks seemed to be a team on the rise when they made an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.

It proved to be a mirage.

What followed was three seasons of infuriating mediocrity, which returned the Hawks to the sort of middle-of-the-pack purgatory that has been a familiar spot through most of their existence.

Now, with a more defensive-minded approach and a roster that runs eight or nine deep, Atlanta is again showing signs of promise.

The Hawks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 134-132 in overtime Friday night for their sixth straight victory — Atlanta's longest winning streak in nearly three years.

“The challenge of this is don’t get comfortable,” said Young, who hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds remaining. “It’s easy to get comfortable after you win a few games and feel good about yourself.”

Young had a huge night with 31 points and 20 assists, helping offset a 39-point performance by LeBron James and 38 points from Anthony Davis.

But the big key to the Hawks' recent success — which includes earning a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup — has been those around Young.

Seven Hawks were in double figures against the Lakers, including three players coming off the bench. Former starter De'Andre Hunter has settled comfortably into a sixth-man role since returning from an ailing knee, scoring 26 points and drawing a double team that freed up Young for the winning 3.

“This wasn’t the first night that it’s been like this,” Young pointed out. "Even in some of our losses, we had a lot of guys scoring, so we've just gotta keep it going. Now that we've got guys healthy, we've found a little rhythm.”

After Hunter went down in the opening week of the season, the Hawks moved No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher into the starting lineup.

While the 19-year-old Frenchmen is still a work in progress, bringing Hunter off the bench is working out just fine. He is averaging more than 19 points a game while continuing to be one of the team's best players at the defensive end.

Then there's Dyson Daniels, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans Pelicans and seemed a sign that the Hawks were going into rebuilding mode.

While Daniels didn't do much during his time in the Big Easy, the 6-foot-8 guard with lanky arms that make him seem even taller, has give the Hawks another defensive stopper. He came up with two huge plays in the waning seconds of overtime, starting with a steal on a lazy bounce pass from Davis to James.

That one didn't produce points, as James hustled back to make a soaring block on Daniels driving to the hoop, giving the ball back to the Lakers.

But Daniels wasn't done. He helped tie up the taller Davis for a jump ball, and the Hawks wound up with one last shot when James tipped the ball out of bounds while scrambling with Hunter for possession,

Young made the Lakers pay.

“It's just effort," Hunter said. “That's what Dyson does. That's how he plays. I feel like I play the same way. At the end of the game, we need some plays, defensive plays, and me and Dyson being the premier defensive guys on the team, we have to make those plays.”

The Hawks still must prove this recent surge isn't just another tease.

“The challenge for us going forward,” Young said, “is how do we continue to do what we’ve been doing and getting stops and letting the offensive side take care of itself and play through each other?”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) fouls Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) celebrates after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) reacts after scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) stops Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) from scoring in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) celebrates after he scores, winning an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

MADRID (AP) — More than 10,000 migrants died while trying to reach Spain by sea this year, a report released by a Spanish migration rights group said on Thursday.

On average, that means 30 migrants died every day this year attempting to reach the country by boat, Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said. Overall deaths rose 58% compared to last year, the report added.

Tens of thousands of migrants left West Africa in 2024 for the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago close to the African coast that has increasingly been used as a stepping stone to continental Europe.

Caminando Fronteras said most of the 10,457 deaths recorded up until Dec. 15. took place along that crossing, the so-called Atlantic route — considered one of the world's most dangerous.

The organization compiles its figures from families of migrants and official statistics of those rescued. It included 1,538 children and 421 women among the dead. April and May were the deadliest months, the report said.

Caminando Fronteras also noted a “sharp increase” in 2024 in boats leaving from Mauritania, which it said became the main departure point on the route to the Canary Islands.

In February, Spain pledged 210 million euros (around $218 million) in aid to Mauritania to help it crack down on human smugglers and prevent boats from taking off.

Spain’s interior ministry says more than 57, 700 migrants reached Spain by boat until Dec. 15 this year, a roughly 12% increase from the same period last year. The vast majority of them came through the Atlantic route.

FILE - Migrants disembark at the port of "La Estaca" in Valverde at the Canary island of El Hierro, Spain, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Maria Ximena, File)

FILE - Migrants crowd a wooden boat as they sail to the port in La Restinga on the Canary island of El Hierro, Spain, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Maria Ximena, File)