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Josh Smith scored 28 points with a season-high 15 boards to help the Hawks win their third straight, downing the Raptors 93-84 in a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee.
The Atlanta Hawks needed to rely on Ivan Johnson's (who?) free-throw shooting to pick up a two-point victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, but they are likely hoping to keep the ball in the hands of their star players on Monday afternoon as they host the Toronto Raptors. The match-up will take place on NBA TV at 4 p.m. as part of the NBA's matinee games on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The Hawks are off to a better-than-expected 9-4 start to the season while relying on their defense as role players continue to step up until the starters find their rhythm. Swingman Joe Johnson looks to be on his way to finding his groove, however, as he scored a season-high 25 points in Atlanta's victory over the Wolves on Sunday.
Toronto is in the early stages of a road trip that will cause them to play eight of nine games outside of Canada. It didn't get off to a good as the Raptors dropped a 77-64 decision to the Chicago Bulls and could continue to be a bit ugly as Andrea Bargnani and Jerryd Bayless sit on the bench due to left leg injuries.
The Hawks shouldn't have much of a problem in Monday afternoon's contest, but there are always going to be surprise results this season as the NBA lockout-truncated regular season rolls on.
Raptors Vs. Hawks: Atlanta Wins Again Without Al Horford
The Atlanta Hawks are now 3-0 without starting center Al Horford, who is out possibly for the season with a torn pectoral muscle, after they beat the Toronto Raptors 93-84 in a special afternoon game in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Led by Josh Smith, who has been phenomenal without his frontcourt-mate, with 28 points and 15 rebounds, the Hawks took care of business and are rolling, pushing their record to 10-4.
The Raptors had a promising start to the season, but have now lost five in a row and seven of their last eight. They were missing their best player, as Andrea Bargnani missed this one with a strained left calf. Without Bargs, the Raptors had trouble scoring with their starting five. They were led in scoring by Leandro Barbosa off the bench with 22 points. No starter scored more than 13 points.
The Hawks, meanwhile, are playing cohesive, confident basketball, led by Smith and Joe Johnson — how it should be. Johnson scored 27 points in this one, and while it's foolish to call the Hawks a better team without Horford, they are playing better right now. How long they can keep it up remains to be seen, but these wins count all the same.
For more news and notes on this game, visit Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops and Raptors HQ.
Jan 16 8:55p by Ethan Rothstein - 0 comments