Josh Smith led a charge in the second half as the Atlanta Hawks came from behind to defeat the Phoenix Suns 101-99. Atlanta fell behind early and had to scrap and claw its way back into the game before Josh Smith got things going in the third quarter.
Smith had a dunk and a couple of three-pointers to help fuel a 12-0 run for the Hawks. Josh put the rest of the team on his back finishing with 30 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks. Just a solid performance when the Hawks needed him the most. Willie Green made up for an off night by Joe Johnson by scoring 20 points off the bench for Atlanta. Green hit 5-8 shots including 4-6 shooting from three-point range.
Jeff Teague did most of his damage early on and finished with 16 points and five assists. Zaza pachulia was also solid finishing with 15 points.
After allowing the Suns to shoot nearly 70 percent in the first half, the Hawks did a couple of different things in the second. One they were much more aggressive while defending Steve Nash and the pick and roll and they got after it on the glass.
Steve Nash was once again amazing finishing with 22 points and 16 assists. Grant Hill added 18 points while Channing Frye and Marcin Gortat each finished with 13.
Atlanta evens its record at 1-1 on its current five-game road trip and snaps a two-game losing streak.
For more on this game Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops while Suns fans should join the conversation at Bright Side Of The Sun. For more NBA news and analysis head on over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.