Jalen Johnson scores 28 to lead the Hawks over the Heat 120-110

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson scored 28 points and the Atlanta Hawks closed out a four-game homestand, winning a third straight contest, 120-110 over the Miami Heat on Saturday.

Trae Young added his 22nd double-double of the season, with 11 point and 15 assist, and De'Andre Hunter scored 26 points in his 14th consecutive game with at least 15 points coming off the bench.

Tyler Herro scored 28 points and dished out 10 assists and Bam Adebayo added 17 points and 10 rebounds. It was the Heat's fourth game in a row without star Jimmy Butler, who sat out for what the team called “return to competition reconditioning.”

Heat: Miami lost despite five players finishing with double-digit point totals. The Heat shot 44.4% from the field, but it wasn't enough to overcome a Hawks team that hit over half of its shots, 51.2% from the field.

Hawks: Johnson has been on an offensive tear in his last two games. He finished two points shy of his single-game career high of 30 points, set in his last game, on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. Hunter also finished just one point shy of his single-game career high of 27 points.

After a close first half that featured nine lead changes, Atlanta seized control early in the second half. With five minutes to go in the third quarter, Atlanta’s Garrison Mathews and Hunter hit back-to-back 3s to give Atlanta an 81-72 lead, their biggest of the night, and forcing a Miami timeout.

Young finished one assist shy of a franchise single-game record for assists against the Miami Heat, set by Mookie Blaylock in 1993.

The Hawks begin a six-game road trip in Toronto on Sunday, while the Heat visits the Rockets on Sunday.

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

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) and Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) collide during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) goes to the hoop against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) dunks the ball against Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) dunks against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) shoots against Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) shoots against Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) speaks to an official during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

SEMMERING, Austria (AP) — With injured star Mikaela Shiffrin not racing, Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutic dominated the opening run of a women’s World Cup slalom on Sunday, posting the best time by far on a course set by her father and coach.

After Amir Ljutic placed the 63 gates on the Zauberberg course, his daughter found the fastest line to finish her run well ahead of the field in the final race of the calendar year.

“I think my dad is happy. He was a bit nervous, this was his first time as a course setter,” Ljutic told Austrian TV.

The course setter for each run of a World Cup race, usually a coach from one of the participating nations, is determined by lot before the season. The second run will be set by Swedish coach Sascha Soria.

Ljutic has earned five World Cup podiums over the past two years but is yet to win a race.

“I really wanted to attack, the course required this from me. I wanted to be very active and let the skis go on the more straight parts,” Ljutic said.

The last female skier from Croatia to win a World Cup race was four-time Olympic champion Janica Kostelic, in March 2006.

Lena Duerr of Germany, who trailed by 0.51 seconds, and Camille Rast of Switzerland, who was 0.98 behind, were the only racers who finished less than a second off the pace.

Rast won the previous slalom, in Killington, Vermont, four weeks ago, after Shiffrin had triumphed in the first two races in the discipline this season.

Shiffrin is recovering from abdominal surgery to clean out a deep wound she suffered in a GS crash on Nov. 30 in Killington. There is no date set for her return.

In Shiffrin's absence, AJ Hurt was the only American racer to qualify for the second run.

Lindsey Vonn, who last week returned to World Cup racing after nearly six years away from the circuit, competes only in the speed events of downhill and super-G.

Olympic slalom champion Petra Vlhova is out indefinitely after she suffered a setback in her recovery from knee surgery last season.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Switzerland's Camille Rast speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Germany's Lena Duerr speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Croatia's Zrinka Ljutic speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom race, in Semmering, Austria, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)