Jamal Crawford didn't disappoint in his return to Philips Arena but it was the Atlanta Hawks who captured their fourth straight win 92-89 over the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was a game of runs in Atlanta with the Hawks answering last. After taking a lead into halftime Portland immediately responded with a run to cut the lead to within two in the third quarter. However, Atlanta closed the quarter with a 14-0 run to once again give themselves some breathing room. Not to be undone, Portland started the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run and temporarily took the lead on a Jamal Crawford bucket.
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith quickly gave the Hawks the lead back and Portland never could overtake them down the stretch. Johnson had a big game for the Hawks finishing with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Josh Smith added 17 points and 11 rebounds while Jeff Teague finished with 13 points and five assists.
Atlanta also got solid contributions from Marvin Williams (12 points, eight rebounds) and Tracy McGrady (eight points, six rebounds) off the bench. Zaza Pachulia scored five points but grabbed 11 rebounds in 26 minutes of action.
Jamal Crawford led Portland with 22 points hitting 8-22 shots in the game. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with a double-double 20 points and 11 rebounds and Wesley Matthews added 10 points but was just 2-13 from the field.
The win was Atlanta's fourth straight without the injured Al Horford. The Hawks are back in action on Friday when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Sixers.
For more on this game Hawks fans should head on over to Peachtree Hoops while Blazers fans should check out Blazersedge. For more news and analysis on the NBA be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA Page.