Smith reaches milestone, Hawks get defensive in win over Washington

By Bud L. Ellis

A monumental moment on the defensive end for Josh Smith sparked the Atlanta Hawks in a return to defensive night at Philips Arena.

Smith became the youngest player in NBA history to block 900 shots, and Atlanta rebounded from a shaky defensive effort in the season opener to beat Washington 100-89 on Friday, improving to 2-0 on the season.

Sure, the Hawks are unbeaten, but there was some worry after the Pacers ran through the Atlanta D for 65 first-half points in Wednesday’s season opener. Consider the message delivered, though: Atlanta held Indy to 15 points in the fourth quarter, then bounced back from an early 10-point deficit to take care of the Wizards.

J’Smooth led the Hawks with 20 points in 29 minutes, along with eight rebounds. Joe Johnson scored 17, Jamal Crawford infused the Atlanta offense with 16 points off the bench, and Al Horford and Marvin Williams chipped in 10 points each. Crawford’s effort led the Hawks’ bolstered bench, which gave Atlanta 27 points.

The Hawks needed these two wins at home, and they got them. Now, it’s time to hit the road. Atlanta plays at the defending champion Lakers on Sunday, opening a four-game road swing that includes meetings at Portland on Tuesday, at Sacramento on Wednesday, and at Charlotte on Friday.

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Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 6:54 pm by bud

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Lakers, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards