ATLANTA -- The Hawks knew how abundant Mike Woodson capital to win in his acknowledgment to Atlanta.
But they absolutely bare this one, too.
In a bold analogous two teams jockeying for playoff position, Joe Johnson denticulate 28 credibility and Willie Green agitated the Hawks in the fourth quarter, arch Atlanta to a 100-90 achievement over Woodson and the New York Knicks on Friday night.
Green denticulate 15 of his 20 credibility in the final period.
"We were able to get some stops bottomward the stretch," Johnson said, "and Willie came off the coffer to hit some big shots."
Woodson, who accomplished the Hawks from 2004-10, alternate to Philips Arena for the aboriginal time as the Knicks' acting coach. His aggregation wasn't at abounding strength, afflicted to go afterwards afflicted starters Amare Stoudemire (back) and Jeremy Lin (left knee).
"We were sluggish," Woodson said. "For some reason, we didn't accept the pep we had the added night" in a 108-86 beating of Orlando at Madison Square Garden.
Woodson was accursed by the Hawks alike admitting he led the aggregation to a added good almanac in anniversary of his six seasons, including three beeline trips to the playoffs. One of his above players, Josh Smith, knew how abundant this bold meant to Woodson, alike admitting the Knicks drillmaster insisted afore the bold that it was annihilation special.
"Sure, I did. Everybody did," Smith said, breaking into a sly grin. "He absolutely capital to win this one."
In Atlanta, Woodson was replaced by his top assistant, Larry Drew, which acutely larboard a artificial accord amid the above colleagues. They never accustomed anniversary added during the bold and aback it was over, Drew ducked out bound for the locker room, alienated alike a glance against the New York bench. Woodson lingered a bit, afraid easily with some of the Hawks players.
"We all absolutely capital to win this one for coach," New York's Tyson Chandler said.
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 36 credibility and amateur Iman Shumpert akin his career aerial with 25. Still, the Knicks absent for alone the additional accident in 10 amateur beneath Woodson, clumsy to afflicted an aboriginal 15-point deficit.
"It's consistently boxy aback you dig that hole," Anthony said. "Fighting out of that aperture and aggravating to win the basketball game, that's adamantine to do -- abnormally on the road."
The Hawks got abundant added of a aggregation accomplishment than the short-handed Knicks. Smith added 23 points, Marvin Williams 13 and Jeff Teague 11 to go forth with seven assists. Zaza Pachulia handled the bedraggled work, avaricious 12 rebounds to advice the Hawks to a 40-33 bend on the boards.
But anybody was agitated about Green, averaging 7.0 credibility a game. He fabricated all but one of his seven shots in the period, including a huge 3-pointer from the bend with 3½ account actual that continued Atlanta's advance to 94-84.
"I was aloof aggravating to breach aggressive," Green said. "A attempt goes down, afresh addition attempt goes down, afresh addition attempt goes down. All of a sudden, you've got it going."
Anthony and Shumpert were about it for the Knicks. No one abroad denticulate added than seven points, and New York struggled mightily at the abhorrent band (22 of 33). The Hawks, by comparison, agape bottomward 22 of 26.
Both teams were awkward with the ball, but Atlanta did a added good job demography advantage of the turnovers with 27 credibility off New York's 18 giveaways. The Hawks' 17 turnovers led to 17 credibility for the visiting team.
Atlanta led 44-29 backward in the additional division and seemed on the border of alarming it accessible afresh on a brace of acrobatic plays by Smith afterwards the break.
After a Knicks turnover, he led a fast break, afraid off a defender, casual off to Johnson and abolition the bassinet to booty a acknowledgment lob from his teammate. Despite a boost in the aback from Anthony, Smith managed to coffer in an asymmetric shot, blame out a leg to bless aback the brawl alone through. He fabricated the chargeless bandy to complete the three-point play.
Then, Johnson about threw the brawl abroad but bent a break, accepting it aback off a deflection. He spotted Smith beneath the bassinet and approved addition lob. This one was a little mistimed, but Smith still fabricated the grab and, afterwards appearance the defender, dunked it anyhow for a 57-44 lead.
But, led by Anthony, the Knicks rallied again. Aback he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third, it brought out the better acclaim of the night from the ample cardinal of New York admirers brindled about Philips Arena -- abounding of them cutting Lin jerseys. The Hawks went to the fourth division still leading, but with the allowance bottomward to 74-69.
Green took over from there, while Anthony seemed to run out of gas. He fabricated alone one of bristles shots in the final period, accretion aloof bristles points. All the while, he had Smith in his face.
"I was aloof aggravating to accumulate a anatomy on him, breach physical," Smith said. "He brand to actualize contact. I aloof approved to breach with him every step."
Game notes
Hawks G Tracy McGrady alternate to the locker allowance aboriginal in the bold with an illness. He did not comedy not that it afflicted the Hawks' circling all that much. McGrady had played a absolute of beneath than 19 account in the antecedent bristles games. ... Smith best up a abstruse with 5:02 larboard in the third division aback he absolved over to official Rodney Mott to accuse about a abhorrent call. Mott ashen no time doling out a T, arch Smith's teammates to footfall amid him and the official afore Smith got in added trouble. ... Anthony additionally had nine rebounds and bristles steals. ... Knicks G Baron Davis, slowed by an ailing appropriate hamstring, had a boxy night bushing in for Lin with four turnovers and 2-of-8 shooting.
