Lawson’s Season-High 32 Points Not Enough in Atlanta
Josh Smith’s steal, jam and free throw with 31 seconds remaining extended Atlanta’s lead and the Hawks held on to beat the Denver Nuggets 108-104 on Wednesday night.
Smith had 16 points and 13 rebounds on his 27th birthday. Al Horford led the Hawks with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Ty Lawson paced Denver with a season-high 32 points. Corey Brewer had 19.
Two free throws by Danilo Gallinari with 2:34 remaining gave Denver its first lead of the final period at 98-97. Lawson’s 3-pointer gave the Nuggets a 101-99 advantage before Horford hit a tying jumper.
Following a missed jumper by Denver’s Kenneth Faried, Lou Williams made two free throws. Smith then stole the ball from Lawson and completed a fast break with a dunk over Brewer, who was called for a foul. Smith added the free throw for a 106-101 lead.
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