Smith scores season-high 26 as Hawks beat Nets - Boston.com

Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith, left, drives against New Jersey Nets' Shelden Williams as Atlanta Hawks' Jeff Teague (0) and New Jersey Nets' Jordan Farmar (2) look on in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

By Tom Canavan AP Sports Writer / January 9, 2012

NEWARK, N.J.â€"Josh Smith scored a season-high 26 points and the Atlanta Hawks shot nearly 54 percent from the field in beating the New Jersey Nets for the third time this season, 106-101 on Monday night.

Joe Johnson added 22, Jeff Teague had 20 and Al Horford had 14 points and nine rebounds as the Hawks led for all but a few seconds in winning their third straight game overall.

Anthony Morrow had 20 points and rookie MarShon Brooks 19 as the Nets (2-8) remained winless in four games at home. Deron Williams added 15 points and 14 assists, but he also had six of the Nets' 16 turnovers.

The Nets made the final 2 1/2 minutes interesting, cutting a 100-88 deficit to five points with roughly 30 seconds to play, four points with 11.1 seconds to go and eventually three points on a 3-pointer by Morrow with 4.2 seconds remaining.

After the Hawks called a time out, Johnson took the inbounds pass and iced the game with two free throws.

This game was almost a repeat of the first game here between the teams. The Hawks started quickly, opened a 16-point lead in the second quarter and put it on cruise control.

The only difference this time was the Nets' kept coming back and they got within 84-79 on a jumper by Brooks with 8:29 to play.

Johnson then posted up Brooks for a jumper to start a 16-9 spurt that put the Hawks ahead 100-88 on a floater in the lane by Teague with 2:27 to play. Johnson had six points in the run, Smith had three and fed Horford for a dunk and Vladimir Radmanovic, who was starting for the injured Marvin Williams, had a 3-pointer.

Radmanovic finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

Smith, who had a season-high 25 in a win over Chicago two nights ahead, had 14 points in the first half in helping Atlanta jump to a 56-45 lead.

NOTES: The Nets played without small forward Damion James (sore right foot) and center Mehmet Okur (back). ....The Nets start a four-game road trip in Denver on Wednesday night. ...Johnson (9,646) moved past Eddie Johnson (9,631) into seventh place on the Hawks career scoring list. ...The Nets and Hawks will finish their four-game season series in Atlanta on March 23. ...

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