The AP reports: Josh Smith wasted no time asserting himself after missing the past 12 games with an ankle sprain. The Atlanta Hawks’ fourth-year forward stole a pass from Memphis rookie O.J. Mayo a few seconds after tip-off, passing to Joe Johnson for an easy layup. “I knew I had to do something early just to get myself established in the game,” Smith said. “I definitely wanted to start on the defensive end, and being able to come up with that steal off the tip was key.” Johnson scored 26 points, and Mike Bibby had 20 points and 10 assists in the Atlanta Hawks’ 105-95 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The Hawks, who have won three of four and five of seven, benefited from Smith’s 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, four turnovers and one blocked shot in 28 minutes… Rudy Gay finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds as Memphis dropped its season-worst seventh straight.
