Hawks keep running, gunning in win over Heat

By Bud L. Ellis

Skip Caray made his mark calling Braves baseball, but once upon a time he also broadcast some Atlanta Hawks games.

Watching the Hawks play lately brings to mind one of Skip’s famous quips, one he would utter sarcastically after the powerhouse Braves’ teams of the 1990s would polish off another opponent:

“Ho-hum … win, win, win.”

That’s what the Hawks keep doing, winning with impressive fashion en route to running out to an NBA-best 10-2 record. The latest chapter of Atlanta’s resurgent run came Wednesday night, when Joe Johnson scored 30 points and Josh Smith continued his maturation process in a 105-90 triumph over Miami at sold-out Philips Arena.

The Hawks are off to their best start in more than a decade, and have grabbed headlines and attention for their solid play. Wednesday was more of the same, Atlanta breaking open a close game in the second quarter with a withering 25-8 run to build a 17-point lead at halftime, 60-43.

Miami made a game of it in the second half, but the Hawks — as has been the case just about every time out this season — had too much for the opposition. Smith added 16 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists, and Al Horford chipped in a double-double of his own (16 points, 12 rebounds).

Johnson hit five 3-pointers in the win, while Smith and Horford each hit six shots from the floor. As it did throughout last season’s first-round playoff victory over Miami, the Hawks made life miserable for Dwyane Wade, holding the Heat superstar to just 15 points.

Win, win, win.

The Hawks, ranked No. 1 in several major media outlet power rankings this week, wrap up a four-game homestand Friday against Houston.

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Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 11:12 pm by bud

Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Dwyane Wade, Houston Rockets, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Miami Heat, Philips Arena, Skip Caray