Hawks take out frustration on Wizards

Washington — The Hawks spent four hours stewing on an airplane after Sunday’s last-second loss to Cleveland, courtesy of the winter storms that blew through Atlanta and on to Washington overnight.

That was four more than Marvin Williams needed to think about what the Hawks didn’t do in that crushing loss.

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AP

Forward Marvin Williams led the Hawks with 28 points in Atlanta’s 98-89 over the Washington Wizards.

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So by the time the Hawks took the floor against Washington Monday at Verizon Center, Williams and his Hawks teammates were eager to purge those nasty thoughts from their system.

They did so with a crucial 98-89 bounce back win over the lowly Wizards, leading by as many as 16 points on their way to an easy victory.

Williams was the catalyst for the Hawks, finishing with a game-high 28 points to lead five players in double figures.

“That’s what they call a total team effort right there,” Williams said after making four of his six shots from beyond the 3-point line. “And everybody was tired. That was a crazy experience, being stuck on that plane all night. We didn’t get into our [hotel] rooms and actually get to sleep until 8:30.

“It was nuts. But we got through it as a team.”

A team following the lead of Williams, who struck from all over. He had 10 points at halftime before going to work in the second half.

Al Horford did as much damage inside as Williams did outside. He, too, was still smarting from Sunday’s finish. He was called for the foul that led to the game-winning free throw by LeBron James Sunday night.

The Wizards were the perfect remedy for his blues, too.

“Before the game [Hawks assistant coach Larry Drew] told us we needed to forget about last night and the rough time we had leaving Atlanta and just focus and get the win,” Horford said. “Last year we probably wouldn’t have had the same edge we had this time. But that’s the difference between us then and now.”

Horford made seven of his 12 shots from the floor, finishing his night with 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Joe Johnson finished with 16 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. Josh Smith added 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks. And Zaza Pachulia chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds off the bench as the Hawks improved to 34-26 on the season.

“This game here was just as important as the one [Sunday night],” Johnson said. “For us to come out and work hard in spite of everything we’ve been through was big for us. This win was big. Every win we got from here on out is big for us.”

Monday’s win was a much-needed dose of positive energy for the Hawks, who have two more games to play on their road trip this week. They play in New York Wednesday and in Charlotte Friday before returning home to face Detroit Saturday in the kickoff game of a crucial seven-game homestand.

Take care of business on the road this week and then dig in during that homestand, and the Hawks can shore up their playoff position by the end of the month.

“I like the way the guys in our locker room responded,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said of the performance against the Wizards. “That was a tough game we lost to Cleveland. That’s the kind of game that can sit with you for a few days if you’re not careful. Then you toss in our travel troubles and it can really snowball on you. We didn’t let that happen. Marvin was great and the rest of our guys were right there when we needed them to be.”