Joe Smith nears career milestone

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Entering the game at the start of the second quarter Saturday, Hawks forward Joe Smith played the 999th game of his career. Only nine active players and 91 total in have reached 1,000 games in NBA history. Smith entered the league in 1995 as the first overall pick.

"I've seen a lot of players come and go in this league, a lot of the players in my class, a lot of players that came in after me," Smith said. "It shows that everywhere I've been, I've been entrusted with going out on the floor to play and entrusted with being productive. That's a good thing."

Smith said he hasn't decided on retirement.

"I feel good and my body's holding up for me, so as long as I can, I'm going to keep rolling," he said.

Smith meets with Bennett family

Hawks forward Josh Smith met privately before the game with the family of Rajaan Bennett, the McEachern High football star who was shot and killed by his mother's boyfriend Feb. 18. Smith, a former McEachern student who met Bennett last summer, has pledged to pay six months' living expenses for Bennett's family.

Assists jam

A night before playing the Hawks, Detroit guard and former Georgia Tech star Will Bynum piled up 20 assists for the Pistons in a win over Washington. The last time a Hawks player had 20 assists was March 1993, when Mookie Blaylock set a team record with 23.