Joe Johnson returns, Atlanta Hawks scrape past the Charlotte Bobcats, 90-85
Surprise… Joe Johnson returns with a remarkably fast recovery from an operation on his shooting elbow, and sparkled Atlanta Hawks with 16 points to turn down the visiting
Charlotte Bobcats at Philips Arena in Atlanta, 90-85.
All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures. Marvin Williams and Al Horford also scored 16 points apiece for Atlanta. Josh Smith posted 12 points and 11 rebounds
and Mike Bibby added 10 in Atlanta’s 17th win of the season.
Boris Diaw and D.J. Augustin did all they could and led the Bobcats with 22 points apiece in the defeat. However, no one else scored as many as 10. Dominic McGuire grabbed
a career-high 17 rebounds for the Bobcats.
Game Story
Unexpected things always happen; Joe Johnson defeated his aching elbow and came out of a clear blue sky and shocked the entire NBA world. His return to action a couple of
weeks earlier than many expected after surgery was a great surprise, his teammates figured it was all just a joke. However a special thanks to Johnson as he was not kidding.
“It was going so well, I was able to get back out there a lot earlier than we expected,” “All the guys were surprised. I think they were of the mindset that I wasn’t coming
back until at least after Christmas.” - - Johnson said.
Atlanta Hawks did not play well offensively in the first quarter, but once again, they found a way, taking a 25-20 lead into the second.
Stephen Jackson of Charlotte left late in the first quarter with a strained elbow, but rejoined in the second half. Since then he never found his shot, going 3 of 14 from
the field to finish with nine points.
In the second quarter, Hawks got it going offensively, and used that to slowly build up a 7-point lead at the half, scoring 21 points in the second quarter, all while holding
Bobcats to 39 in the entire half.
I had X-rays that said it was not broken but it feels like it. It really feels like it," "I kind of think I shouldn't have gone out for the second half, but I just wanted
to see what I could try to do for my team." - - Jackson said.
From first half onwards the Hawks led all the way, but they never pushed the margin higher than 12. Atlanta got a sudden boost with Sherron Collin’s flipped up towering
shot, expanding Atlanta’s lead to 68-58.
The Bobcats tried hard during the fourth quarter to make the score a respectable one; however, William’s free throws strengthen Atlanta’s lead.
Facts of the Game
With this win, the Hawks stretched their home-winning streak to six in a row.
Charlotte Bobcats lost for the fourth time in the previous five games.
The Hawks have won seven straight against the Bobcats at the Philips Arena.
Gerald Henderson of Charlotte played for the third game in a row after missing nearly a month with inflammation in his left knee.
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