Yep, it's been a while. Now an NBA all-star, Johnson scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hawks win in Utah for the first time in 17 years, beating the short-handed Jazz 105-100 on Monday night.
The Hawks hadn't won in Utah since Feb. 13, 1993, when Dominique Wilkins scored 43 points to lead Atlanta to a 121-112 victory.
"It's about time," Johnson said. "The last time our team won here, I was just a little kid watching Dominique and dreaming I might play in the NBA someday."
The Hawks knew all about the drought.
"The streak was brought to our attention before the game, so we wanted to come out early and establish ourselves," Johnson said. "We wanted to make sure they knew it wasn't going to be the same type of game they are used to seeing out of us."
Johnson made a three-pointer with 2:28 left that gave the Hawks a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
"Joe hit a big shot in one of our isolations, which we needed," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "Other than that, it was pick and rolls down the stretch for us and we really executed well."
Josh Smith added 18 points and Jamal Crawford, who had 17, followed Johnson's long jumper with a steal and two free throws as the Jazz lost for just the third time in 20 games.
"They all passed the ball and they've all got the ability to shoot the ball out on the floor, so you're really put in a tough situation with how much help you can give inside," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
Playing without Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko, the Jazz stayed close until the final minute, but allowed the Hawks to shoot 54 per cent.
"We can't make excuses," said Paul Millsap, who led the Jazz with 14 points. "Losing Deron and Andrei just gives other guys the opportunity to step up. We just have to do a better job down the stretch." Read More
source: canadianpress
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