Hawks Stifle Warriors 103-93
ATLANTA (CBS/AP) – Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew knows there aren't many secrets to beating Golden State's halfcourt offense.
It all starts with sealing the perimeter against the NBA's second-most accurate 3-point shooters and beating screens on the Warriors' pick-and-roll.
"Our focus in this game was really to defend the 3-point line," Drew said. "I thought we did that for the most part."
Josh Smith had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Al Horford had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Atlanta beat the Warriors 103-93 on Wednesday night.
The Hawks have won two straight and four of five overall. They extended their home winning streak to nine games.
Dorell Wright scored a career-high 32 points for Golden State, which missed a chance for its first four-game winning streak since Feb. 26-March 4, 2008.
"I was hot," Wright said. "They kept going to me. They kept finding me. It was big. We were in the game the whole night."
The Warriors, who have lost 11 of 13 on the road, play their next four away from Oakland. They began the game with a 0-7 record when shooting under 40 percent from the field.
Atlanta held Golden State to 44.6 overall, 33.3 percent on 3-point attempts.
"One time we took five straight jump shots on five possessions, and we turned the ball over twice as well," Warriors coach Keith Smart said. "The timing of the offensive rebounds and turnovers is what hurt us most."
Horford's 18th double-double of the season helped Atlanta drop Golden State to 1-13 when scoring 100 points or fewer. After Stephen Curry's jumper cut the lead to nine with 2:26 left in the game, Horford answered with a putback to make it 99-88 with 1:59 remaining.
"The game plan was for us to play inside-out (on offense)," Horford said. "I think when we do that, we usually have a lot of success."
Curry and Monta Ellis, the NBA's third-leading scorer, each finished 4 of 13 from the field. Ellis' nine points were his lowest total in 18 games. He has been bothered lately by a sore ankle.
"We made a few mistakes,
Joe Johnson had 16 points to pass Lenny Wilkens for 10th place on the Hawks' franchise scoring list. He finished with eight of Atlanta's 31 assists.
Drew liked how Johnson adapted to the game instead of trying to force too many shots with a sore right elbow that required surgery and sidelined him for nine games earlier this month.
"My arm isn't fully extended," Johnson said. "I'm working with I've got. The pain is not all the way gone. I'm still working on it."
Mike Bibby, who was 0 for 3 at halftime, hit six of his last nine shots from the field to finish with 15 points. He hit a pair of 3-pointers early in third quarter.
"They did a good job of just baiting us," Curry said. "They were very patient and forced us to make decisions while we tried to shoot some tough shots with the shot clock winding down. (Bibby) made a couple of big ones for them."
The Hawks don't know if starting forward Marvin Williams will be able to play when they begin a four-game road trip Friday night in Oklahoma City.
Midway through the third quarter, Williams tried to intercept a pass in the lane to Lou Amundson, but fell hard against the floor and bruised his back. Williams didn't return.
Notes: Wright's previous career high was 30 points, scored in a Nov. 27 win at Minnesota. ... The Hawks improved to 10-0 this season when leading at the start of the fourth quarter. ... Warriors C Andris Biedrins (left ankle) and C Dan Gadzuric are on the five-game road trip but have yet to practice.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
