Joe Johnson News

Owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-2, the Atlanta Hawks will shoot for their seventh straight win when they close out a four-game homestand tonight versus the Houston Rockets at Philips Arena.

Atlanta's Joe Johnson is often overlooked and underrated, but he's a genuine NBA star.

Josh Smith soared through the lane to drop in a missed shot with 0.7 seconds remaining and the Atlanta Hawks won their seventh in a row, beating the Houston Rockets 105-103 Friday night to maintain the NBA's best record.

Joe Johnson made it two straight 30-point games, Josh Smith dominated during a decisive first-half run and the Atlanta Hawks won their sixth in the row, beating the Miami Heat 105-90 on Wednesday night to reclaim a share of the NBA's best record.

When experts were asked who would be contending for an NBA Championship in 2009-10, I believe they mentioned the following teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic.

OK, this week Lebron James has made it crystal clear that he is no longer going to answer questions about his impending free agency in the huge NBA summer 2010 Lebron sweepstakes.A But, after watching him dominate the Orlando Magic and put on an absolute show against the Miami Heat , I could not help, but imagine LBJ in an Atlanta Hawks' uniform ...

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.

Rebounds don't make great highlights. But as the Hawks have won nine of their first 11 games of the season, including their past five, rebounds and the overall play of big men Al Horford and Josh Smith have been as much a part of the team's success as dramatic 3-pointers and slashing drives to the basket.

Keeping this guy off the boards will be a big deal. Browse more photos>> Game Time: 4:00 PM Pacific TV: Comcast We just played Atlanta two weeks ago and their basic constitution hasn't changed since then.

The Hornets were without Chris Paul, who stayed home after spraining his ankle from the night before, and have lost three straight and five of six.

Ah, sweet, delicious rebounding. The Celtics, despite making just one three-pointer*, shot a higher percentage from the floor** than the Hawks.

A pair of talented young teams put their respective winning streaks on the line tonight, when the streaking Portland Trail Blazers pay a visit to the surging Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.

When the Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks meet tonight at Philips Arena, the similarities between the two teams go beyond their winning streaks.

Hawks guard Jamal Crawford is still adjusting to coach Mike Woodson's defensive scheme.

That's the end of this slideshow, here are a few more you might like... Bleacher Report publishes the best Atlanta Hawks newsletter on the internet.

The Atlanta Hawks bea4 the Celtics 97-85 5 last night behind Joe Johnson's 24 points.

Finally, it appears as though Josh Smith has found "it." What is "it," exactly? Quite simply, Smith has looked like the player the Hawks thought they'd be getting when they signed the former high school-draftee to a $58 million contract two summers ago.

Sure, it is never fun to lose by 20 points, especially against a division opponent.

If the Knicks find themselves struggling to woo LeBron James and Dwyane Wade , who can become free agents next summer, they'll likely turn their attention to the players such as Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson , who are expected to headline the next tier of potential free agents at season's end.

The Atlanta Hawks will be attempting to keep up their strong start to the young season, as well as extending the early woes of the New York Knicks, when the two teams get together at Madison Square Garden this evening.