Hawks 102 - 96 Hornets
Final - OT
  for this game

Hawks beat Bobcats in OT

Jan 7, 2012 - 4:44 AM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - The last thing the Hawks needed was another game decided in overtime.

But at least on Friday, Atlanta pulled out a 102-96 victory over the Bobcats.

Josh Smith finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Hawks, who were playing the middle test of a back-to-back-to-back and had just lost in triple- overtime to the Heat on Thursday.

Marvin Williams and Al Horford each chipped in 15 points in the win.

"I told [our guys] before the game this was going to be a gut-check," Hawks head coach Larry Drew said. "We didn't get in until three o'clock this morning...and our guys gutted it up. That's what it's going to take."

D.J. Augustin totaled 21 points and 12 assists for Charlotte, which got 19 points from Kemba Walker and 17 from Byron Mullens in falling to 2-5 on the young season.

"We have a lot of new players from last year," Bobcats head coach Paul Silas said. "It takes time to get your principles down."

Atlanta jumped ahead late in the third, as Smith started a quarter-ending 8-2 run with a jumper, steal and layup.

Vladimir Radmanovic's three-pointer gave Atlanta a 70-61 advantage heading to the fourth, and it was all Hawks until Charlotte rallied in the final three minutes.

Williams hit from long range to put Atlanta on top, 87-79, with 3:14 to go, and Charlotte scored the next six points, with Tyrus Thomas' dunk pulling the hosts within two with 91 seconds remaining.

Williams again made a three-pointer to stop the run, though Augustin's jumper and Mullens' reverse layup cut the deficit to 90-89 with 20.2 seconds to play.

A 1-for-2 effort at the foul line by Williams made it a two-point game, and Horford was whistled for goaltending with 6.5 seconds to go. Boris Diaw was attempting a putback of Augustin's missed layup and was came up short, but Horford touched the ball while it was on the rim for the game-tying points.

Horford and Diaw both missed baseline jumpers in the final seconds to send the game to another five minutes.

Jeff Teague and Joe Johnson hit three-pointers around a Smith free throw to give the Hawks a 98-91 lead two minutes into the extra session, and this time the visitors held on down the stretch.

A tight first half saw the Hawks lead, 20-18, at the end of the first quarter and 43-38 at halftime.

Game Notes

Charlotte forward Corey Maggette was sidelined due to a strained left hamstring...Johnson chipped in 14 points for the Hawks...D.J. White and Diaw each grabbed nine rebounds while adding 14 and 10 points, respectively, in defeat.






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