Hawks run past Bobcats, prepare for huge week

By Bud L. Ellis

When the Atlanta Hawks are running and gunning like they did in the first and third quarters Friday night, they just might soar all the way to June.

In perhaps two of their most dominant stretches of basketball of the season, Atlanta took Charlotte’s six-game winning streak and dispatched it in a 103-89 victory at Philips Arena that wasn’t anywhere near as close as indicated.

Were it not for a lull in the second quarter and another in the fourth, the Hawks might have won by 40. Seriously. They were that good, shooting 51 percent from the floor, getting five 3-pointers and a team-high 24 points from Jamal Crawford, five Hawks finished with four or more assists and Atlanta was a perfect 14-for-14 from the foul line.

Crawford hit on 8-of-12 field-goal attempts, and added five assists and two blocked shots. Al Horford added 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Joe Johnson finished with 19 points and seven assists. Josh Smith mixed several big-time dunks into his 14 points, adding eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Marvin Williams also scored 14.

The Hawks now prepare for a huge week in which they will play at Houston, at San Antonio, home with Boston and at Orlando. The Hawks lead the Magic by ½ game in the Southeast Division, and trail the Celtics by ½ game for second place in the Eastern Conference.

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Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 11:47 am by bud

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, National Basketball Association, Orlando Magic, Philips Arena, San Antonio Spurs