High-flying Josh Smith kept the Atlanta Hawks soaring.
Smith skied through the lane for a put-back of Mike Bibby’s missed jumper with 0.7 seconds left, lifting the surging Hawks to their seventh straight win on Friday night, a dramatic 105-103 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets.
“I seen my man and Bibby’s man staying with him, so I just wanted to crash the boards. Just in case he missed I was there to get the tip-in,” said Smith, who finished with nine points. “All that matters is the last shot. It was big for our team and it gave us the win.”
Marvin Williams had a season-high 29 points along with nine rebounds for Atlanta, which improved to an NBA best 11-2 record, including a perfect 7-0 at home.
Jamal Crawford added 21, Joe Johnson had 19 with nine assists, while Al Horford finished with 17 points.
Asked if the Hawks can continue their torrid pace, Smith replied: “We’re confident, the sky is the limit for us. We have to keep playing unselfish and keep playing together. I think we can do it.”
Plagued by foul-trouble, Smith watched most of the final quarter from the bench as the Hawks used a 21-5 run, to turn a five-point deficit into a 102-92 advantage on Crawford’s fourth three-pointer with just over two minutes left.
The scrappy Rockets refused to quit, though, going on an 11-1 spree. When Carl Landry made two free throws with five seconds left, the game was knotted at 103, setting the stage for Smith’s heroics.
After a timeout, the Hawks got the ball to Bibby, whose jumper bounced high off the rim. But Smith, a 2.06m jumping jack, flew down the middle unguarded and laid it in with both hands.
The Rockets called for basket interference, but the officials denied it after watching the replay on a courtside monitor.
“Smith made a huge play,” Rockets forward Luis Scola said. “He hustled; everybody knows how high he jumps. He got the ball and put it back in. It was a great play.”
In other NBA action, it was:
• Cavaliers 105, Pacers 95
• Mavericks 104, Kings 102
• Raptors 120, Heat 113
• Bucks 95, Bobcats 88
• Grizzlies 102, 76ers 97
• Thunder 127, Wizards 108
• Warriors 108, Trail Blazers 94
• Clippers 106, Nuggets 99
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