After Smith ejection, Hawks stumble vs. Knicks

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Whatever the Hawks caught Wednesday night, it apparently wasn't very contagious.

Two days following their 146-point outburst, the Hawks went missing on offense and defense.

Errant shooting, flawed defense and the ejection of forward Josh Smith all had a hand in the Hawks' 114-107 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night at Philips Arena.

Said guard Joe Johnson, "It's definitely a game we should have won."

The Hawks went stone dry from the perimeter, making 4 of 23 3-point shots, including 1 of their last 18. They bore little resemblance to the team that drained 11 of 21 through the same rims and nets in their 146-115 demolition of Toronto on Wednesday.

After a seven-game winning streak that included victories over some of the NBA's best, the Hawks have dropped four of their last six.

One loss was to Southeast Division-leading Orlando. The other three were to teams that before Friday's games were a combined 17-38. The Hawks are 13-6 and two games behind the Magic. New York is 5-15.

The Hawks' defense failed them repeatedly, first in allowing their game-opening 11-0 run to disintegrate into a 20-20 tie in less than six minutes and in permitting open jump shots and uncontested drives to the basket all game long. Forward Al Harrington and guard Chris Duhon scored all over the floor for the Knicks, combining for 52 points.

"All the [defensive] rotations we went over and over and over [in practice]; we just didn't execute," Johnson said.

New York made 57.7 percent of their shots, a season-worst for the Hawks.

"Defensively, we were nonexistent," coach Mike Woodson said. "Josh covers up a lot of mistakes sometimes. We got exposed a little bit tonight."

The Hawks were without their star forward for the final 2-1/2 periods after he was ejected by referee Bob Delaney. Shortly after he blew a tomahawk dunk on a fast break, Smith scored on Harrington and then complained to Delaney when no foul was called, drawing a technical.

As players moved to half-court to wait for the technical-foul free throw, Smith continued to berate Delaney, who was standing by the baseline. Delaney heard enough and dismissed Smith, who is the first Hawk to get tossed from a game this season. Smith did not go quietly, gesticulating as he left the arena floor.

Smith, who apologized to his teammates following the game, was not in the locker room when media were allowed in.

Smith's absence had a multiplying effect on the Hawks. Not only were they without the NBA's top shot blocker and arguably the team's best defender, and not only did it force Woodson to rely more on his starters as they tried to stay in the game with a run-and-gun offense, but now the Hawks will be that much more spent following an overnight flight to Dallas for a Saturday night game against the Mavericks.

Johnson, who led the Hawks with 29 points, played 44 minutes, while center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams played 39.

Said Woodson, Smith "just can't put himself in that position again."