The AP reports: Joe Johnson scored 22 points and the Hawks led from start to finish, erasing the memory off a dismal blowout by the Los Angeles Clippers with a 111-90 rout of the undermanned Wizards on Tuesday night. Atlanta raced to a 9-1 lead before most of the sparse crowd had even settled into its seats… Mike Bibby, who didn’t play against L.A. because of a sprained foot, scored 12 points and doled out six assists in 26 minutes… Caron Butler scored 22 points, but the last-place Wizards were outmanned, as they are on most nights without Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood and Etan Thomas.
Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog
Atlanta Hawks blog
Thornton scores 31, Clippers beat Hawks 121-97
The AP reports: Coach Mike Woodson was digusted with the effort of his Atlanta Hawks. Even with Mike Bibby injured and unable to play, Woodson at least expected the Hawks to play hard… Al Thornton scored 31 points and Zach Randolph had 25 in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 121-97 victory over the Hawks on Saturday night… Dropping to 18-6 at home, the Hawks never got any closer than nine after Johnson’s three-point play midway through the third. Johnson and Marvin Williams each scored 17 points for Atlanta, while Josh Smith added 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Marvin Williams steps up, Hawks beat Wolves 94-86
The AP reports: With All-Star Joe Johnson at home with an illness, Marvin Williams filled in beautifully with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lift the Hawks to a 94-86 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night… Josh Smith added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Mike Bibby had 24 points and seven assists, including a 3-pointer with 44.2 seconds to play that put the game out of reach. Al Jefferson had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and rookie Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, but it was the revival of two missing shooters that allowed the Wolves to trim a 17-point third-quarter deficit to two with 1:04 remaining.
Al Horford returns to practice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports: Good luck trying to figure out who was happier to see Al Horford back on the practice floor. The Hawks’ starting center was ecstatic Monday to be at work full time after missing the last 12 games with a bone bruise in his right knee. His teammates were just as happy considering their recent struggles. The Hawks were 5-7 record without their leading rebounder and best post defender. Horford should play Wednesday at Minnesota, but that is contingent on how his knee responds.
Villanueva has 27 to lead Bucks past Hawks 110-107
The AP reports: Charlie Villanueva scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had a season-high six assists to help the Milwaukee Bucks edge the Atlanta Hawks 110-107 Saturday night… Richard Jefferson and Ramon Sessions each had 20 for the Bucks who won their fourth in a row over the Hawks at home. Villanueva was 8-of-15 from the floor, including four-of-seven from 3-point range, in 42 minutes… Mike Bibby led Atlanta with 24 points and Joe Johnson, picked as a reserve to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the third consecutive season, scored 22, including the 10,000th of his career. But the Hawks failed to snap a three-game losing streak in Milwaukee. Josh Smith scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Flip Murray came scored 18.
Johnson, Bibby lead Hawks past Nets, 105-88
The AP reports: Joe Johnson found his shot, and the Atlanta Hawks found a way to beat the New Jersey Nets. Johnson scored 29 points to shake his January slump as the Hawks won the matchup of high-scoring backcourts and beat the Nets 105-88 on Friday night. Johnson’s backcourt-mate Mike Bibby added 20 points as Atlanta won against New Jersey for the first time in four tries this season… New Jersey’s Devin Harris and Vince Carter form the top-scoring backcourt in the league with their combined average of 43.1 points, about six points better than the third-place Hawks’ combo. But Harris (20 points) and Carter (18) combined to make only 11 of 31 shots against Atlanta.
Nate Robinson leads Knicks past Hawks 112-104
The AP reports: Nate Robinson ‘s high-energy, high-flying style is the kind of play that pumps up a crowd. It’s probably not a coincidence that as the backup guard has broken out of a slump, the Knicks are rolling at home. Robinson had another big fourth quarter, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the final 10 minutes, to lead New York past the Atlanta Hawks 112-104 on Wednesday night… Marvin Williams had 28 points and Josh Smith added 26 for Atlanta. Point guard Mike Bibby scored just five points on 2-of-13 shooting… New York’s David Lee had his ninth straight double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Duhon had 16 points and 11 assists.
Heat turn up defense, stifle Hawks in 95-79 win
The AP reports: The NBA’s leading scorer, Wade finished with 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting and the Heat held the Hawks without a field goal for nearly 13 1/2 minutes during one first-half stretch, beating Atlanta 95-79 on Monday night… Daequan Cook scored 16 points and Chalmers added 12 points and six assists for Miami (24-19), which moved a season-best five games over .500. Udonis Haslem had a game-high 13 rebounds. Miami had a season-high 12 blocked shots and allowed the Hawks seven assists — the fewest by any Heat opponent this season. Joe Johnson scored 19 points for Atlanta. Marvin Williams added 17, Josh Smith had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Flip Murray finished with 14 points for the Hawks.
Stoudemire scores 23 as Suns edge Hawks
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points, and Shaquille O’Neal had 19 points with 11 rebounds, helping Phoenix snap a three-game losing streak with a 104-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. Nash, who finished with 14 points and 13 assists, was pleased that owner Robert Sarver flew to Atlanta for Saturday’s practice and joined general manager Steve Kerr in a team meeting… Reserve guard Leandro Barbosa had 20 points for the Suns, who had lost five of six and were coming off a season-worst 22-point loss at Charlotte… Marvin Williams’ 17 points were a team high for Atlanta, which had won four of five. The Hawks’ backcourt of Mike Bibby and Johnson went a combined 7-for-33 from the field, including a 2-for-13 performance beyond the arc.
Murray scores 25 as Hawks win big over Bucks
The AP reports: Flip Murray scored a season-high 25 points, Josh Smith had 24 and the Hawks raced to their biggest victory of the season, 117-87 over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Mike Bibby dished out 15 assists for Atlanta, which shot 56 percent from the field while winning its third in a row… Bibby had 12 points and easily eclipsed his previous season high of 12 assists, even though he barely played in the final period… Charlie Villanueva led the Bucks with 27 points, but it was a mere afterthought in Milwaukee’s most-lopsided defeat of the season. Bucks center Andrew Bogut missed his fifth straight game with back spasms, and the Hawks sure took advantage of his absence on the inside.