Wizards vs Hawks: Drew says Atlanta must find 'killer instinct'

In a game that was a little tougher than expected, the Atlanta Hawks emerged victorious with an 104-95 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night at Philips Arena. Even though his team ended up on the right side of the scoreboard, head coach Larry Drew wasn't exactly enthused by the performance, according to the Associated Press:

"I think when we got the big lead we got a little complacent. We have to develop a killer instinct. Tonight, we didn't have it. We didn't do it."

All five starters were in double-figures for Atlanta (11-5), led by Josh Smith who scored 23 points and snatched down 15 rebounds. Smith was a force throughout the game, making his presence felt in a contest that easily could've gone the other way.

Al Horford also collected a double-double with 14 points and as many boards. Point guard Jeff Teague dished out six assists to compliment his 19 points and four rebounds.

Drew was more positive when talking about Smith and DeShawn Stevenson, who came up big down the stretch. Per Coach Drew via Peachtree Hoops:

"We got off to a pretty decent start, and then we found some momentum and were able to create some separation. I thought Josh had a big game. Jeff got off to a great start for us. In the first half, I thought he was really aggressive. I thought Al played very well. DeShawn started knocking down shots in the first half. Overall, it was a really gutsy performance by our guys."

Kevin Seraphin came off the bench and led Washington (2-14) with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Rookie Bradley Beal also showed some considerable skill in the loss, pouring in 18 points of his own.