Josh Smith is hitting his shots from inside and out and sparking the Atlanta Hawks closer to a playoff birth.

Smith has 26 and Marvin Williams and Kirk Hinrich posted 16 each to lead the Hawks to an 80-74 edge over the Philadelphia 76ers through three quarters at the Wells Fargo Center.

Jodie Meeks, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young have 12 each for the Sixers, who have five players in double figures.

The Hawks are getting it done thanks to a great shooting night from Smith, who is 10-for-14 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. The Atlanta catalyst also has seven boards on a night where boards are basically even between the two athletic clubs.

The difference?

Atlanta is able to shoot at will . They are connecting at a 59-percent (31-for-59) clip from the field, while the Hawks started playing defense in the second quarter. The Sixers. who shot 62-percent from the field in the first 12 minutes, are down to just 48-percent (32-for-67) after three quarters.