Amare Stoudemire woke up for the New York Knicks. But then again, the Atlanta Hawks started using the post more and closed the gap a bit.
Stoudemire has 14 points and Landry Fields added 11 to post the Knicks to a 44-42 lead through two quarters at Philips Arena.
Kirk Hinrich has 10 points and Joe Johnson eight for Atlanta, which is shooting just 45-percent (17-for-38) from the field.
Johnson was having a miserable time tonight before finally going to the post against a New York team that doesn't exactly have Dwight Howard in the middle. He started putting layups off the glass and the high-percentage shots fell.
The Hawks trailed by as many as six late in the frame before Jamal Crawford nailed a 3-pointer and was fouled. He converted the free throw for his fifth four-point play of the season and 33rd of his NBA career.
Josh Smith has been OK in this one, posting four points and five boards in just over 15 minutes of action. He sat for a lot of the first quarter in foul trouble.
Carmelo Anthony has just six points on 2-for-8 shooting from the field for the Knicks, who hold a 21-17 edge on the boards.