Smith Blocks Pacers’ Shots Like Last Call

The Atlanta Hawks won their second consecutive game when they went on the road to player the Indiana Pacers. Pacers center Roy Hibbert came into the game leading the NBA in blocked shots, with McEachern High School product, Josh Smith number two. Smith had seven blocks, three in the game’s first five minutes, easily dwarfing the seven foot Pacers’ center’s one block, which was exactly half of the number of times his own shot was rejected by Smith. Smith is now the league’s leader in blocked shots.In the 102-92 win the Hawks (8-4) shot .500 (37/74) from the floor, connecting on eight of 15 from beyond the arc, with 26 assists. They also had six different players in double figures, the five starters and sixth man Jamal Crawford. Smith didn’t just host his own block party in the paint on defense, he also lead the team in scoring with 25 points while contributing eight rebounds.

The Hawks began the game with a barrage of seven unanswered points hitting six of their first 11 shots, with five of the six being the result of assists. The Pacers responded with a 14-2 run of their own which gave them a 22-15 lead. Hawks reserve guard, Jeff Teague, with a pair of threes cut the lead to three, making 24-21 at the end of the first quarter.

The Pacers (4-5) played a stingy zone defense hoping to stymie the Hawks drives and points in the paint. However starting point guard Mike Bibby played the part of zone buster. He was four for four in the second quarter, including three threes. His play along with 8 points from the bench, allowed the Hawks to storm back and take a 50-49 half-time lead that they never relinquished.