Josh Smith returns, Hawks roll

If, and more likely when, the Hawks are jockeying for playoff position months from now, the particulars of their 105-95 victory over the hapless Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night at Philips Arena won’t matter nearly as much.

That they got complacent with a 26-point lead and allowed the Grizzlies to make it a competitive game late — they closed to within six points in the final two minutes — won’t matter.

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Gregory Smith/AP

Hawks’ point guard Acie Law shoots over Memphis’ Kyle Lowry (1).

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Gregory Smith/AP

Josh Smith returned in style after missing the last 12 games with an ankle injury.

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The reason: The Hawks got what they needed, winning their sixth home game in seven tries this season to improve to 11-6 on the season. And just as they’ve fretted over games squandered early in seasons past, they’ll stack Wednesday’s game in the win column in March or April, a time when all that matters is wins and losses, not early-season style points.

“I guess we kind of figured they were going to give up,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “But no team gives up. And every team in this league is capable of coming back. So we kind of had to gather ourselves. We kind of got lucky a few times and made enough stops to pull the game out.”

Two guys who didn’t even play in the Hawks’ previous game opened and closed the action for the Hawks, who got a balanced scoring effort with all five starters in double-figures and with at least four assists.

Josh Smith got a steal on the opening possession of the game, returning to the starting lineup after a 12-game absence (high ankle sprain). He finished with 14 points, six rebounds (which tied the team-high), five assists and two steals in 27 minutes of action.

“I knew I had to do something early just to get myself established in the game,” Smith said. “I definitely wanted to start on the defensive end, and being able to come up with that steal off the tip was key.”

Zaza Pachulia came in late for Smith and had two huge rebounds and a driving layup to help the Hawks put the game away, bouncing back after not playing for what Hawks coach Mike Woodson termed “matchup reasons” in the Hawks’ victory over the Wizards on Saturday night in Washington.

Pachulia finished his night with six points, six rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes. “I’m ready to play every night,” Pachulia said. “I got in the game and did my best to help the team and obviously, everybody has their role, so I had to do whatever I had to do.”

After watching it for the last month, Smith said it felt good to be back in the middle of the action.

“We’re playing very unselfish, and it gets contagious when you do that,” he said. “We played together and we just have to keep doing that every night.”

That’s the attitude Woodson insists will carry his team to the kind of season they’ve been chatting about, one that doesn’t include nail biting down the stretch. And if Wednesday’s game is any indication, the Hawks seem to thrive when the production is balanced.

Joe Johnson led the way with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists while his backcourt mate Mike Bibby added 20 points and 10 assists. Horford added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks and Marvin Williams 16 points, five assists and four rebounds.

“It doesn’t matter who plays on this team,” Woodson said. “And that’s kind of how we’re trying to build. To worry about that, then we have problems. My job is to make sure that when guys do play, they’re ready to play and they do a job. If not, I have to go to the next guy and try to figure it out.

“Right now, everybody is on the same page, so the minutes you do get, you have to make it the best supporting minutes that you play.”