Hawks look to thrive after surviving storm

It also could have been better. The Hawks lost to Detroit and New Jersey, teams that are currently a combined 22 games under .500 and likely headed for the draft lottery.

"All in all, I think we weathered the storm," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "There were some disappointing losses along that stretch, but we did weather the storm."

The Hawks might have survived the grind yet they can't help but feel that they could have thrived.

Atlanta couldn't finish strong in losses to Miami, San Antonio and Boston. The Hawks led the Spurs early in the fourth quarter and rallied to get within two points of the lead in the fourth against Miami and Boston.

"We didn't tough it out in the fourth quarter like I was hoping we would," Drew said.

Those losses, all without Johnson, might have been more palatable for the Hawks if not for the poor efforts at Detroit and New Jersey.

Both teams pulled away in the fourth quarter, even though Atlanta previously showed a knack for closing out road games against also-ran opponents.

“We’ve been up and down,” Hawks center Jason Collins said. “I’m not worried about how we’re going to play against the Miamis and the Orlandos. For us we have to come into each game with that mentality of knowing we're going to be in for a fight each game. I think there are a few games this season we definitely let slip away.”

Atlanta's ability to finish should improve once Johnson rounds into form after missing nine games.

Though Johnson has struggled with his shooting, his absence had a ripple effect on the Hawks because of his versatility and the double-teams he frequently draws from opponents.

"Losing Joe in that stretch made it a lot tougher because now I was having to juggle the lineup a little bit, play guys in spots they probably weren't as familiar with," Drew said.

Power forward Josh Smith slid over to small forward. Small forward Marvin Williams, still working back into shape from a knee injury, was forced to play significant minutes at shooting guard.

The rotation was thrown further off kilter when guard Jamal Crawford (back) sat out the past four games. Atlanta's bench scoring plummeted without him.

“It messes up the timing. It messes up the positions,” Smith said. “I think when we get everybody healthy and figure out the rotation that’s positive for us, I think we will pull a string of wins together like everyone else is right now.”

Though the Hawks have proven that they can take nothing for granted, their schedule seems to offer a chance for a winning run.

Atlanta plays host to Cleveland (8-20) on Wednesday night and then gets three days off before going to New Orleans, which is struggling lately after a hot start. From there, only one of Atlanta's following five opponents, Oklahoma City,l has a winning record.

"We've done OK," Johnson said. "We are above .500. That's pretty good. We have just got to build on that. We've got to somehow, someway find a way to put a string of wins together and keep grinding like that."