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.

Al Horford DOMINATES the Bulls in career-high scoring night; Hawks remain perfect

Now You Know, ESPN

Beautiful, virtuoso performance by the REAL 2007 Rookie of the Year, how upset are people gonna be as he continues to improve and people review his resume and wonder WHY he didn't win Rookie of the Year, and no disrespect to the player that won, but why would the NBA do that for a franchise that wasn't going to exist anymore anyway..?

Hawks 113 Bulls 108
26 29 29 29
22 30 22 34

Al Horford knows that with Josh Smith out of the lineup, he must be the defensive anchor on the team. He also knew he was more than capable to have big scoring nights, and he felt that itch from the tip with Gator-buddy Joakim Noah.

In the first quarter, Al Horford went to work immedietely on Tyrus Thomas, scores. Going to work against Joakim Noah, scores, going against Aaron Gray, scores + the foul, by the end of the first quarter Al Horford had 8 pts 3 rbs 3 blks. He continued his onslaught in Karl Malone-fashion, gobbling up rebounds, getting putbacks, making free throws, after halftime the score was 55-52, AL Horford had 16 pts 7 rbs 5 blks.

Mike Bibby also had a great game,scoring the first basket of the second half on an assist by Joe Johnson, did anybody see that running off-the-backboard layup by Marvin Williams in the beginning of the 3rdQ? That was impressive



FLIP MURRAY

MO EVANS

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