Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Joe Johnson finished with a game-high 30 points, leading the
Atlanta Hawks to a 105-90 victory over the
Miami Heat at Philips Arena.
Josh Smith ended with 16 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for Atlanta, which improved to 6-0 at home this season. Al Horford added 16 points and 12 boards, as the Hawks took their sixth consecutive victory overall.
"We've been pretty good here at Philips," Johnson said. "We want to keep working. Just try to keep our heads on right, don't get overconfident, just keep playing hard."
Michael Beasley, who had scored just 15 points in his last two games combined, paced Miami with 21 points and nine rebounds. But Dwyane Wade shot just 6- of-18 and ended with 15 points, as the Heat lost for the third time in four games.
Wade had scored at least 20 points in 23 consecutive regular-season contests, a Miami franchise record.
"It was big, man," Johnson said of limiting Wade. "But like I say, it was a team effort. It's nothing that I did by myself. I just try to stay in front of him, make his shots tougher and his catches tougher. As a team, I thought when he got in the paint, we were all there to corral him and make him either pass the ball or take a tough shot."
Atlanta held a 26-23 lead after a tight first quarter, and the game remained back and forth into the second.
After James Jones connected on a three to give Miami a 35-32 edge, the Hawks ripped off 10 consecutive points. Johnson contributed six points, including a jumper with about 4 1/2 minutes to go in the half to cap the rally and put Atlanta up 42-35.
Then, with about three minutes left, Smith sank a short shot to spark a 15-2 Hawks run. Smith scored seven points during the stretch, which Mike Bibby closed with a basket. Miami's Carlos Arroyo got the final bucket of the half, bringing the Heat within 60-43 at the break.
"It was just a change of momentum," Beasley said. "I think we were holding them throughout the beginning of the game, first and second quarter. But the last minutes of the half, Josh Smith had some dunks. Whenever you can get those easy dunks, the whole team gets hot."
Miami got back in the contest thanks to an eight-point burst that Beasley capped with two free throws, bringing the Heat within 62-56 a little more than four minutes into the third quarter.
But they couldn't draw even, and two foul shots from Jamal Crawford put Atlanta ahead 79-72 going to the fourth.
The Hawks essentially sealed the game with a 10-1 run to start the final quarter. Smith's two free throws with just over eight minutes to go made it an 89-73 game, and Atlanta led by double-digits the rest of the way.
Game Notes
Wade's last sub-20-point game was on March 15, when he scored 18 points against Philadelphia...Miami suffered its first road loss of the season (2-1)...Marvin Williams had 14 points for Atlanta, while Crawford ended with 10...Jermaine O'Neal had 12 points for the Heat...The Hawks have beaten the Heat in the last five matchups in Atlanta.