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Horford, Law lead Hawks past Bobcats

Oct 14, 2008 - 3:15 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Al Horford and Acie Law IV came up big down the stretch for the Atlanta Hawks.

Law tallied the game winning layup in the game's final seconds and Horford blocked Gerald Wallace's shot as time expired to help the Hawks escape with an 88-87 win over the Charlotte Bobcats in the preseason opener at Philips Arena on Monday night.

Joe Johnson tallied 17 points and Josh Smith added 16 for Atlanta, which improved to 3-1 in the exhibition play.

Jason Richardson poured in 19 and Gerald Wallace added 12 for Charlotte, which remained winless in three preseason games.

Rookie D.J. Augustin scored 10 of his 11 points in the fourth for the Bobcats, including a layup with 1:22 remaining to give Charlotte an 87-85 lead. Horford split a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to one with 27 seconds remaining before the Bobcats turned the ball over on a charge by Raymond Felton.

On the ensuing possession, Horford laid the pick and Law rolled right down the center of the lane past a pair of Bobcat defenders to the bucket for a finger-roll layup to give Atlanta an 88-87 lead with 4.5 seconds remaining.

Felton found Wallace on the next play, but Horford swatted away Wallace's offering and secured the rebound to give Atlanta the victory.

Charlotte led by as many as nine in the first half before taking a 46-39 advantage into the intermission behind 16 points from Jason Richardson. The Bobcats ruled the paint in the first two quarters, soaring over the Hawks by a 26-8 margin. But Atlanta clawed back into it in the third with an 11-3 spurt to start the quarter.

Atlanta played without starting point guard Mike Bibby (right oblique strain) and the oft-injured Speedy Claxton (pulled hamstring). Marvin Williams left the game at the break for precautionary reasons with a sprained left thumb. He finished with four points.