San Antonio —- Not a single head was dipped in the Hawks' locker room after Saturday night's 100-94 loss to Utah.

Moral victories still don't count in the NBA, but you'll have to excuse the Hawks for feeling good after suffering their seventh loss in their last eight games.

They battled back from an early 19-point deficit. Then they dug out of a 16-point hole in the fourth quarter to get within a basket.

It all has a way of empowering a team still trying to develop chemistry four games into life with a new point guard, Mike Bibby.

"I think anyone paying attention can see that we're coming together," Hawks forward Josh Smith said after his 30-point, 12-rebound effort against the Jazz.

"Mike's made us a much better team. With his ability to stretch the defense with his outside shot and then dive into that defense and create for everybody else ... I think when we get back home things will really start coming together for us. You'll see."

Right now the Hawks (22-31) are just trying to see their way through the finale of their grueling five-game Western Conference road trip, which ends tonight against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Sunday's day off was their first after a whirlwind week that saw Bibby come to the team in a trade with Sacramento for veterans Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue and Lorenzen Wright, second-year forward Shelden Williams and a second-round draft pick.

Playing four games in six nights, including two back-to-back sets, simply didn't leave much time for the Hawks to figure out how everything is going to work with Bibby at the controls.

That said, the transition hasn't been that difficult because Bibby, even while playing on a bruised right heel the past three games, has been that good.

"He's made a huge difference for us," Marvin Williams said. "Playing with him gives us a different look in games and certainly changes the way teams play us on the defensive end.

"The floor has definitely opened up with him out there knocking down all those [3-pointers], and now it's up to us to make sure we take advantage of the differences."

That didn't always happen against the Jazz.

The Hawks were messy on offense, piling up 22 turnovers resulting in 25 points for the Jazz —- Williams and Joe Johnson leading the way with four each.

A huge night from the starters, who combined for 22 of the Hawks' 23 assists and all but 12 of the points, was wasted. A bench that helped the Hawks knock off Golden State a night earlier couldn't get going against the Jazz.

"I thought our effort was tremendous," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said, noting that teams like the Jazz on Saturday and the Spurs tonight feast on teams that can't match their mettle. "Mike gives us that 3-point shot where we can post some of the perimeter guys like Marvin, Josh Smith and Joe.

"But we just have to keep working, man. Because our effort was tremendous."

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: at Spurs

> When: 8:30 p.m. today

> TV; radio: SportSouth; 790 AM