Joe Johnson season-high 41 fuel highest scoring Hawks game all season, defeat Bulls 129-117

Hawks 129 Bulls 117

35 28 32 22

32 36 30 31

BOX SCORE

From the opening tip to Al Horford, pass to Josh Smith, assist to Al Horford with a jumpshot, you could tell this was going to be a high-scoring game. We could see that Derrick Rose was going to be a handful, as he was last time in Chicago, and as he will be increasingly for years to come as the soon-to-be ROY (or OJ Mayo). But we could have not seen the shootout unfold as it did between Ben Gordon and Joe Johnson.

First quarter, Joe 12, Ben 15. Second quarter, Joe 10, Ben 3. Third quarter, Joe 8, Ben 8. And in the all important fourth quarter, Joe 10, Ben 4.

Overall, it was the Hawks best offensive game of the season, and a great demonstration of the versitility of the Hawks, they can play slow pace, half-court style basketball, or the 7 seconds or less D'Antoni style they tried today. Either way, Hawks win. Josh Smith agrees;

"It shows we are real versatile," Smith said. "It doesn't matter whether we're playing a fast style of basketball or slow, just as long as we win."

Every player had a great stat line for the night:

ATLANTA HAWKS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Marvin Williams, PF	35	6-10	0-1	4-5	3	5	8	4	0	1	1	4	16
Josh Smith, PF	34	8-14	1-3	7-9	2	5	7	5	2	1	2	1	24
Al Horford, C	38	4-10	0-0	2-2	5	5	10	5	0	1	0	2	10
Joe Johnson, SG	44	16-31	4-6	5-6	1	2	3	8	2	0	1	2	41
Mike Bibby, PG	35	6-8	3-5	2-2	0	2	2	7	0	0	1	3	17
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Maurice Evans, SF	12	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	5
Zaza Pachulia, C	21	5-7	0-0	0-0	2	5	7	2	0	0	0	3	10
Ronald Murray, SG	20	2-6	0-3	0-0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	4

Somebody ask Woodson, when will we see more Acie out there? Its a damn good question..

If (and when) we beat Denver on Monday, the Hawks will be 20-10, the first time the franchise has reached 20 wins before the calendar flip since the 1987-1988 season. That team coached by Mike Fratello and led by Dominique Wilkins 30 ppg, and Doc Rivers 14 ppg 9 apg led the Hawks to a 50-32 record that season. Let's do better.