Hawks-Nets Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Jan 08 2012 1:53PM

The Atlanta Hawks were upbeat after defeating one of the top teams in the league their last time out.

A matchup against the woeful New Jersey Nets doesn't seem likely to lower their spirits.

The visiting Hawks look for a ninth win in 11 games over the Nets as these teams meet for the third time in two weeks Monday night.

Atlanta (6-3) concluded a stretch of five games in six days - including its first back-to-back-to-back set of the season - with an impressive 109-94 victory over Chicago on Saturday. The Hawks started the game on a 12-1 tear, opened a 17-point lead into the second quarter and never looked back.

"A night like tonight shows what were capable of as a team," said Al Horford, who scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. " ... I hope that this carries over into our next game and maybe we can start building off this. I think if we can bring that kind of energy, we'll be in good shape."

Atlanta shot a season-best 56.6 percent from the field Saturday and seemed to benefit from playing at a faster pace. The Hawks scored 27 fast-break points - they had scored 29 in their previous four games combined - and will surely look to continue their up-tempo style of play going forward.

"Whatever we did - we need to bottle it up and put it in a water bottle," point guard Jeff Teague said. "We really got out in transition. That's something that we haven't been doing lately - we've been a halfcourt team these last couple of games. (Saturday) we got out in transition and got some easy baskets.

"When we're out in transition and playing like that, we're a better team."

New Jersey (2-7) knows all too well of the Hawks' ability to dominate a game. Three days before suffering a 105-98 loss at Atlanta, the Nets absorbed their most lopsided defeat of the season, 106-70 on Dec. 27. They've been outscored by 15.0 points per game in dropping eight of 10 versus the Hawks.

After snapping a six-game losing streak with Friday's 97-85 win at Toronto, New Jersey fell 101-90 to Miami the following day. The Nets, who rank last in the league in field-goal percentage (38.1), shot just 33.7 percent from the floor and matched a season high with 22 turnovers.

Power forward Kris Humphries recorded a career best-tying 25 points and 12 rebounds. Two-time All-Star Deron Williams scored just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting but dished out a season-best 10 assists.

"I like the offense. I like the system. I just think we're not executing good," Williams said. "We're not finishing. We're not hitting shots. You know we're messing up plays. We're not on the right spots. (Friday) we were. (Saturday) we weren't. It's a night and day frame you know where we were (Friday)."

While the Nets have limited Josh Smith to a combined 14 points in the previous two meetings, they could have difficulty slowing down the versatile forward in this one. After a quiet start to the season, Smith is averaging 20.0 points on 52.3 percent shooting and 11.3 rebounds during his last four games.

Smith is coming off an outstanding all-around effort, posting seasons highs of 25 points, six blocks, five assists and four steals to go with five boards versus the Bulls.

Hawks starting small forward Marvin Williams was removed from Saturday's contest after spraining his left ankle. Williams, averaging 10.9 points and 6.0 rebounds, is uncertain to suit up Monday.

Smith scores season-high 26 as Hawks beat Nets

By TOM CANAVAN
Posted Jan 09 2012 11:16PM

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The Atlanta Hawks have seen the New Jersey Nets so much this season, it has the feeling of a playoff series, and a sweep at that.

Josh Smith scored a season-high 26 points and the Hawks shot nearly 54 percent from the field in beating the Nets for the third time this season, 106-101 on Monday night.

"It's always toughest to play a team a third time around," said Smith, who was 10 of 14 from the field in topping his season-high for the second straight game. "It almost had the feel of being a semi-playoff game. We took over the game early, but they put their best effort for us. They always play hard. I just didn't want to get disappointed and lose this one. This is probably the best game I've played here."

It might have been one of the Nets' better games, too. They've had a habit of falling behind early and never coming close.

This time they made the Hawks work for the victory.

The teams will finish their four-game series on March 23 in Atlanta. The Nets should have center Brook Lopez back in the lineup. He has missed the start of the season with a broken foot and it has forced New Jersey to take more shots from the outside. They hit only five in the first quarter and had to play catch up the rest of the way.

"That has been like an epidemic for us this year and we got do a better job," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "But again, our guys battled."

The Hawks noticed.

"They're an improving team, even though they're missing a big piece in Brook," said Joe Johnson, who added 22 points for the Hawks, including six in a fourth-quarter run that gave some late breathing room. "Each game with them has been tough. They don't make it easy for us."

Jeff Teague added 20 points, Al Horford had 14 points and nine rebounds and Vladimir Radmanovic had 14 points as the Hawks led for all but a few seconds in winning their third straight game overall.

Anthony Morrow had 20 points and rookie MarShon Brooks 19 as the Nets (2-8) remained winless in four games at home. Deron Williams added 15 points and 14 assists, but he also had six of the Nets' 16 turnovers and was 6 of 17 from the field.

"We have to get off to a better start obviously," said Morrow, who was 6 of 11 from the field. "I don't know if it's low energy but we're not putting a lot of pressure on defensively and offensively we are not executing. The good thing is I'm glad we fought back and got back in the game. To have to claw back like that, we should start off better and put ourselves in a better position to win the game."

The Nets made the final 2 1/2 minutes interesting, cutting a 100-88 deficit to five points with roughly 30 seconds to play, four points with 11.1 seconds to go and eventually three points on a 3-pointer by Morrow with 4.2 seconds remaining.

After the Hawks called a time out, Johnson took the inbound pass and iced the game with two free throws.

Smith, who had a season-high 25 in a win over Chicago two nights ahead, had 14 points in the first half in helping Atlanta jump to a 56-45 lead.

"I'm just starting off aggressively and setting the tempo for me and my teammates," Smith said. "I'm getting into the flow of the offense more and getting better shots."

The Nets, who trailed by nine points entering the final quarter, got within 84-79 on a jumper by Brooks with 8:29 to play.

Johnson then posted up Brooks for a jumper to start a 16-9 spurt that put the Hawks ahead 100-88 on a floater in the lane by Teague with 2:27 to play. Johnson had six points in the run, Smith had three and fed Horford for a dunk and Vladimir Radmanovic, who was starting for the injured Marvin Williams, had a 3-pointer.

NOTES: The Nets played without small forward Damion James (sore right foot) and center Mehmet Okur (back). DeShawn Stevenson was a late scratch because of a sore right knee and Brooks got the start. ...The Nets begin a four-game road trip in Denver on Wednesday night. ...Johnson (9,646) moved past Eddie Johnson (9,631) into seventh place on the Hawks career scoring list. ...This was the first game the Nets scored 100 points this season.

Notebook: Hawks 106, Nets 101

By Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Monday January 9, 2012 11:15PM

THE FACTS: When a Josh Smith midrange jumper bounced off the back rim and in, he must have known it was his night. Smith (26 points, six rebounds) drained his first four jumpers, including two long twos, to stake the Hawks to a 19-8 lead. The Hawks, led by Joe Johnson late, held off a late charge to down the Nets, 106-101.

Jeff Teague (20 points) and Johnson (22 points, six assists) made efficient contributions for Atlanta, while Anthony Morrow (20 points) and rookie MarShon Brooks (19 points, 10 rebounds) shot the ball well for the Nets. Deron Williams finished with 15 points and 14 assists.

QUOTABLE: "That's what kind of start we got off to; I can't even pronounce the word."
-- Nets head coach Avery Johnson, after struggling to pronounce the word 'lethargic' to describe his team's lethargic start to the game.

THE STAT: Following a stretch of three games in three nights and a day off, the Hawks starters played all but approximately 35 minutes of the total game action, and shot 38-67 (57 percent) from the field.

TURNING POINT: Midway through the third quarter, Kris Humphries blocked Al Horford emphatically from behind, but Morrow missed an open three in transition. Heading the other away, Smith finished an alley-oop that put the Hawks up 65-56. After the five point swing, Humphries committed an offensive foul on the ensuing possession.

GOOD MOVE: Hawks head coach Larry Drew started Vladamir Radmanovic. Even though Radmanovic's only first quarter points came on a wide open corner 3-pointer, he meshed well with his athletic teammates -- yet again -- as the Hawks blitzed the Nets early in the Prudential Center, the NBA's friendliest arena to away teams in the first quarter. Radmanovic also drilled a backbreaking 3-pointer to put the Hawks up 98-85 late in the fourth quarter.

QUOTEABLE II: "It always hard on the third time around. It's kind of a semi-playoff game."
-- Smith, on playing the Nets three times in their first ten games.

INSIDE THE ARENA: John Connor of the New York Jets sat courtside...and a Derrick Coleman early 90s montage played on the Jumbotron in the second quarter.

ROOKIE WATCH: Along with a first career double-double, Brooks got hot in the third quarter, nailing two 3-pointers and a layup to keep the Nets within striking distance at the end of the third quarter.

NOTABLE: A running hook shot off the window from Johan Petro gave the Nets their first home lead of the season...Shawne Williams tallied a season-high 11 points.

UP NEXT: For the Hawks, Wednesday @ Indiana, Thursday vs. Charlotte, Saturday vs. Minnesota. For the Nets, Wednesday @ Denver, Friday @ Phoenix, Saturday @ Utah.

• Hawks: Hinrich, Williams
• Nets: James, Lopez

• Hawks: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• Officials: #63 Derek Richardson, #8 Marc Davis, #16 David Guthrie
• Attendance: 12259
• Duration: 2:11