CHARLOTTE, NC, April 10 (Ticker) -- The Charlotte Hornets wanted to clinch a playoff spot. The Atlanta Hawks had other ideas.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 33 points and Dermarr Johnson contributed 21, including a key 3-pointer with 45 seconds left, to lift the Hawks to a 101-95 victory over the Hornets.

Johnson's 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 97-92 lead. Baron Davis, who played with five fouls the last 8 1/2 minutes, countered from behind the arc, but Abdur-Rahim dunked with 18 seconds left and Jason Terry sank two free throws to ice the win.

"I really like taking the big shots this year," said Johnson. "Shareef got doubled and was able to find me late in the game, and I love being in that spot."

NBA TV highlights from Hawks-Hornets: 56k | 300k Nazr Mohammed had a nice double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Garrett W. Ellwood NBAE/Getty Images

Terry also had 21 points for the Hawks, who made 26-of-28 free throws. Abdur-Rahim was 11-of-12 from the line.

"Shareef was as aggressive tonight as he's been in a while," Atlanta coach Lon Kruger said. "He attacked the basket, got to the line, and had the big dunk at the end that sealed it."

Jamal Mashburn netted 26 points and Davis had 15 for the Hornets (41-37), who remained tied with Philadelphia for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference.

"We'll get there somehow, some way, Indiana will have to lose or we'll win one," Hornets coach Paul Silas said.

It was a close game until midway through the third quarter when the Hawks, who ended a three-game road skid, used a 14-2 run to temporarily pull away.

After Davis' 3-pointer with 6:31 to go cut Atlanta's lead to 59-55, Abdur-Rahim sank a 20-footer and the Hawks ran out to a 71-57 lead. Terry, who had 10 assists and went 6-of-6 from the line, made two 3-pointers in the run.

Nazr Mohammed recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who shot 49 percent (37-of-85) from the floor.

The Hornets clawed back, using a 16-2 run to pull even at 77-77 on Jamaal Magliore's tip-in with 8:45 left. The Hawks never fell behind but could not build more than a four-point lead until Johnson's 3-pointer in the final minute.

"I thought our guys responded well to Charlotte's run in the fourth quarter," Kruger said. "Our guys battled back and I'm proud of that."

"Everybody wants to be a spoiler right now," Silas said. "We have to take each game seriously."

Davis shot 6-of-18 from the field for the Hornets, who shot 43 percent (37-of-85) and suffered their second straight loss.

Charlotte's point guard has been slumping. Before coming on in the second half, Davis had made just six of his previous 37 shots from the field.

David Wesley scored 12 points and Lee Nailon 10 off the bench for Charlotte, which held a 41-30 rebounding edge.

We're not playing good basketball right now, that's obvious" said Wesley. "We have to come out with more determination. We show spurts of life and then we're dead out there."