casper
12-17-2009, 11:06 AM
HAWKS WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT, HAMMER GRIZZLIES
THE SPORTS NETWORK
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Joe Johnson had 26 points and eight rebounds, leading Atlanta to its fifth straight win, a 110-97 decision over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Al Horford added 15 points and 10 boards for Atlanta, which improved to a sterling 11-2 at home this season. Josh Smith contributed 14 points, and Maurice Evans and Jamal Crawford chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
"We always want to start off fast, but we'll take the second half push every time," Smith said. "This team is good offensively, but we start off on the defensive end kind of lacking a little bit. It picked up in the second quarter, and we didn't look back."
Sam Young led a balanced attack for Memphis with a career-best 20 points, but the Grizzlies couldn't post their first three-game road winning streak since April 12-19, 2006. O.J. Mayo tallied 15 points, Marc Gasol had 14 points and eight rebounds and Zach Randolph posted 10 points and 10 boards in defeat.
"(Young) had a night tonight," said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins. "I don't want to talk about any individual players about what he did or didn't do. We just got beat. There's a lot of guys who have good games in losses. What I need is our guys to play well when we're winning."
Rudy Gay scored 11 points before leaving in the second half with a sprained right ankle.
Mayo and Randolph each had eight points in the opening quarter, and Memphis held a 24-22 lead heading into the second. Johnson had 10 points for Atlanta in the first 12 minutes.
The Hawks began the second quarter with 11 straight points to take a nine- point lead, but Memphis came all the way back to tie the contest, 42-42, on a Mike Conley layup inside the two-minute mark.
Atlanta scored the final nine points of the half to take a 51-42 lead into the locker room.
Gay got the Grizzlies to within five, 63-58, on a pair of free throws midway through the third, but Johnson responded with a personal 7-0 run to build a 12-point Atlanta lead. The Hawks pushed their lead to 83-66 after the third quarter.
Evans' basket early in the fourth put the hosts ahead, 89-68, and the outcome was never in doubt from there.
Game Notes: Memphis is 4-10 on the road this season...Young had 16 points in the fourth quarter...The Grizzlies' DeMarre Carroll committed five personal fouls in the final quarter...Atlanta has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams...Conley finished with 12 points.
THE SPORTS NETWORK
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Joe Johnson had 26 points and eight rebounds, leading Atlanta to its fifth straight win, a 110-97 decision over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Al Horford added 15 points and 10 boards for Atlanta, which improved to a sterling 11-2 at home this season. Josh Smith contributed 14 points, and Maurice Evans and Jamal Crawford chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
"We always want to start off fast, but we'll take the second half push every time," Smith said. "This team is good offensively, but we start off on the defensive end kind of lacking a little bit. It picked up in the second quarter, and we didn't look back."
Sam Young led a balanced attack for Memphis with a career-best 20 points, but the Grizzlies couldn't post their first three-game road winning streak since April 12-19, 2006. O.J. Mayo tallied 15 points, Marc Gasol had 14 points and eight rebounds and Zach Randolph posted 10 points and 10 boards in defeat.
"(Young) had a night tonight," said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins. "I don't want to talk about any individual players about what he did or didn't do. We just got beat. There's a lot of guys who have good games in losses. What I need is our guys to play well when we're winning."
Rudy Gay scored 11 points before leaving in the second half with a sprained right ankle.
Mayo and Randolph each had eight points in the opening quarter, and Memphis held a 24-22 lead heading into the second. Johnson had 10 points for Atlanta in the first 12 minutes.
The Hawks began the second quarter with 11 straight points to take a nine- point lead, but Memphis came all the way back to tie the contest, 42-42, on a Mike Conley layup inside the two-minute mark.
Atlanta scored the final nine points of the half to take a 51-42 lead into the locker room.
Gay got the Grizzlies to within five, 63-58, on a pair of free throws midway through the third, but Johnson responded with a personal 7-0 run to build a 12-point Atlanta lead. The Hawks pushed their lead to 83-66 after the third quarter.
Evans' basket early in the fourth put the hosts ahead, 89-68, and the outcome was never in doubt from there.
Game Notes: Memphis is 4-10 on the road this season...Young had 16 points in the fourth quarter...The Grizzlies' DeMarre Carroll committed five personal fouls in the final quarter...Atlanta has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams...Conley finished with 12 points.