Hawks rally for fourth win in a row

As long as Joe Johnson keeps playing like this, the Hawks should have no problem taking care of their home court.

The Hawks’ captain and All-Star turned in his third consecutive 30-point game as the Hawks rallied from a 13-point deficit to turn back the Indiana Pacers 101-87 on Friday night at Philips Arena.

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Mikki K. Harris / AJC

Mike Bibby drives the baseline against the Pacers during the Hawks’ victory.

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It was the Hawks’ fourth consecutive victory at home and overall as they improved to 38-28 on the season.

“I’m just trying to come out and be aggressive from the start and get in a rhythm early and then get my teammates involved,” Johnson said. “My shots been feeling pretty good, though, and that makes a world of difference.”

Johnson led the Hawks with 30 points on 12-for-23 shooting and also added six assist and four rebounds. He scored 30 in a win over New Orleans on Monday and 31 in a win over Utah on Wednesday, each victory snapping long win streaks for the Hornets and the Jazz, respectively.

His 19 points in the first half helped keep the Hawks in a game they were in danger of being blown out in.

By the time the second half rolled around, Al Horford, Mo Evans, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby and the rest of the Hawks picked up the pace, and the Hawks dusted the Pacers (28-39) to the finish.

“Obviously, everybody has to step up,” Evans said. “It takes a complete team effort. And tonight, we had a lot of different guys stepping up. And it’s going to continue to take that kind of effort with the caliber of teams we have coming in here during this home stretch.

“I thought we came out really flat and lethargic in the first half. We knew we had to bring better intensity in the second half.”

Evans was huge Friday, scoring 10 of his 15 points during the Hawks’ crucial third-quarter stretch where they took control of the game. They outscored the Pacers 30-16 in the quarter.

Starting in place of injured small forward Marvin Williams, who is out indefinitely with a lower back injury, Evans was the latest reserve to step into the spotlight.

“It’s every guy on the roster recognizing the urgency we have to play with and stepping up,” said Hawks center Al Horford, who finished his night with 17 points and 15 rebounds. “I’m pleased with the way we’re playing on this home stand, especially with the loss of Marvin. But tough teams just keep on coming, when you look at Portland coming in on Sunday.”

Even so, Friday’s victory puts the Hawks in unique territory. They join Dallas as the only teams this decade to surpass their previous season’s win total for the fourth consecutive year.

The Hawks have gone from 13 wins in Mike Woodson’s first season to 26, 30, 37 and now 38 and counting. The Mavericks won 19, 40, 53, 57 and 60 from the 1999-2000 season through the 2002-03 season.

With three games left on their homestand and 16 left in the regular season, the Hawks have a chance to push their victory total well over those 37 from last season.

“That means a lot, that means our team is improving year by year,” Woodson said. “And we’ll continue to grow and get better. You know, the media has been so tough on this team and me over the years. But I’m a realist, and I’ve always said it’s hard for a young team to win in this league at a high level.

“When we started out it was like taking baby steps. It wasn’t easy. But every year we’ve gotten better, and we’ll continue to grow.”