NBA Roundup : A Fast Start by Atlanta Cools 76ers

Suddenly, the Philadelphia 76ers are no longer the hottest team in the National Basketball Assn.

After winning four games in a row and seven of their last eight, the 76ers came out decidedly flat Wednesday night at Atlanta.

Before the 76ers knew what hit them, they were out of it. Reggie Theus and Dominique Wilkins each scored 10 points in the first 7 1/2 minutes as the Hawks built a 26-6 lead en route to a 135-93 victory.

The Hawks had a 78-37 halftime lead and built it to 50 points in the third quarter before the subs took over.

There are times when the Hawks resemble championship contenders but they seldom put strong games together. They are a game behind Chicago in the battle for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

In this game, the Hawks shot 65%, but in a 14-point loss at Cleveland Tuesday night, they shot only 42.4%

Theus, criticized recently by the Atlanta media, scored 30 points, making 14 of 19 field-goal attempts.

Phoenix 114, Utah 104--The Jazz, which has all but wrapped up the Midwest Division title, was hoping to catch the Suns in the race for the second-best record in the West.

They jumped off to an early lead at Phoenix, but Tom Chambers and Kevin Johnson took charge, and the Suns won going away. The Suns, 3 1/2 games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division, have a 47-26 record, while Utah fell to 45-28. Both teams have nine games remaining.