Hawks kick off season with win over Pacers

By Bud L. Ellis

Defensively, it wasn’t what the new-look Atlanta Hawks wanted to see on opening night.

Indiana hung 65 points on the Hawks in the first two quarters of Wednesday’s season opener at Philips Arena. But the bolstered Atlanta offense still had the lead at intermission, and buoyed by five starters in double figures and a strong defensive showing in the fourth quarter, the Hawks opened this season of promise with a 120-109 victory.

As tough as it was for the Hawks to slow the Pacers in the opening two quarters, Atlanta found their defensive footing in the final 12 minutes. Indiana shot just 33 percent and scored only 15 points in the final quarter.

That would be enough to give Atlanta the separation it needed, especially considering the strong offensive output from a team that returns all five starters and added four key pieces to the bench. Joe Johnson overcame a sluggish start to lead Atlanta with 25 points. Al Horford played strong in the middle, scoring 24 and pulling down 16 rebounds. Josh Smith added 18 points with eight assists.

Marvin Williams scored 14 points and Mike Bibby added 10, rounding out a stellar effort by the Atlanta starting five. Off the bench, Mo Evans chipped in 12 points. First-round draft pick Jeff Teague scored five and added four assists for Atlanta, which shot 52 percent from the field.

Atlanta tries for a 2-0 start Friday against Washington at Philips Arena, then opens a four-game road trip.

–30–

Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 9:13 pm by bud

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby, Mo Evans, National Basketball Association, Washington Wizards