PHOENIX—Coach Larry Drew was trying everything he could to jolt the stagnant Hawks.
Drew switched to a zone defense to slow Suns point guard Steve Nash. He used a small lineup and spread the floor with shooters. Drew played three bench players at the finish in place of starters.
But there was one move Hawks guard Joe Johnson wasn't going to let his coach make.
When Drew summoned Johnson to the bench in the fourth quarter he also called for Josh Smith.
“I was going to pull Josh out early in fourth, but Joe said, ‘Leave him out there. He’s young,’” Drew said. “I’m glad he did because he just played a phenomenal game inside and out and defensively he was all over the place.”
The Hawks rode Smith's to a 101-99 victory that ended their four-game losing streak in Phoenix. Smith had 30 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocked shots to lead the Hawks in each of those categories.
Atlanta rallied to win after trailing by 15 in the second half and struggling to stop Phoenix for more than two quarters. Smith led the way in the final period by scoring 10 points, rebounding six of Phoenix's eight misses and anchoring the middle of the zone defense.
Smith played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter after Johnson urged Drew to leave him in.
“He can handle it,” Johnson said. “Ride him until the wheels fall off. We’ve got two days off. He can rest tomorrow. I definitely wasn’t going to let coach take him out of the game, whether I had to sit down or not.”
Atlanta (19-11) outscored the Suns 54-43 in the second half. Smith scored 20 points after halftime and reserve guard Willie Green added 12 while making both 3-point attempts and all four free throws.
They helped the Hawks outlast the Suns despite Johnson missing eight of 10 shots and finishing with six points.
“I just wanted to be aggressive,” Smith said. “I knew they were keying in on Joe and we needed some offense somewhere else. Me and Willie definitely picked up the slack.”
Smith's two free throws gave Atlanta an 82-81 lead, its first since 13-12. Green's steal led to Vladimir Radmanovic's layup, Johnson made a jump shot and then Smith rebounded and fed Green for a transition score that pushed the lead to 88-81.
As the Hawks surged, the Suns (12-18) missed shots over Atlanta's zone defense and Smith hogged the rebounds.
“First half we allowed them to dictate the tempo of the game,” Green said. “They pretty much got anything they wanted. They just controlled the game. The second half we threw that zone at them, threw them off rhythm a little bit, got our hands up on their shots, got some fast-break points.”
After the Suns cut the lead to 92-89 on Jared Dudley's 3-pointer, Radmanovic answered with a 3-pointer and Smith's steal led to another 3-pointer from Green. Atlanta's lead was down to 98-95 and 99-97 in the final minute but Smith and Green made free throws to hold off the Suns.
The Hawks now will have consecutive days without a game for the first time this season. They are 1-1 on the five-game trip that continues Saturday in Portland.
“I told the guys I don’t even want to see them tomorrow,” Drew said. “Just get away.”
The game was fast-paced at the start. There were lots of layups on drives and cuts to the baskets and little resistance offered by either team.
The Suns made 8 of their first 12 field goals with 10 of 17 points in the paint. The Hawks countered with 8 of 13 shooting and 10 of 17 points in the paint.
Then the Suns kept scoring as Atlanta's offense halted. Phoenix reeled off a 17-0 run while the Hawks missed eight consecutive shots.
But the Suns led just 56-47 at halftime despite shooting 68 percent from the field. The Hawks stayed in it by making five 3-pointers and collecting eight steals, and then finally slowed Phoenix with the zone after halftime.
“We was having trouble guarding those guys man-to-man,” Green said. “Steve Nash is so good with the ball, if you don’t pick him up and get your hands in his vision he is hitting guys diving down at the basket for pinpoint shots. Second half we were keeping them under control, kept them on the perimeter, and making them shoot over us.”
Atlanta still had to sweat at the end.
After Suns forward Channing Frye's basket with 2.1 seconds left, Smith took the ball out of bounds under Phoenix's basket with Atlanta leading 101-99. Green broke free towards Atlanta's basket but Smith's pass was too long and bounced several feet in front of him as Green gave chase.
He wan all the way to the other end of the court and saved the ball just before it went out of bounds. If he hadn't caught up to it, the Suns would have received ball out of bounds under their basket.
“I knew I just had to touch it,” Green said.
“I’m glad that he did,” Smith said. “I’m really happy that he did.”
