Atlanta’s Josh Smith, who missed the game against Seattle with a left quadriceps strain, started at center against the Bucks and scored a career-high 38 points for the Hawks.
Joe Johnson added 14 for the Hawks, who have lost four of five and are 0-4 on the road this season. Their last road win was a 96-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 14.
Clinging to a one-point lead, Bogut tipped in a miss to put the Bucks ahead 97-94 with 2:37 left. Smith answered with a basket for the Hawks. Redd drove the lane and scored and after Joe Johnson missed from in close, Bogut made a layup on a pass from Mo Williams giving the Bucks a 101-96 lead with 1:14 left.
After Atlanta failed to score, Williams made two free throws with 33.4 seconds left and then stole an inbound pass and scored for the final margin.
Winless in four games on the road, the Bucks improved to 4-0 at home and pulled to .500 with the victory.
The Bucks couldn’t distance themselves from Smith and the Hawks in the fourth quarter.
Smith, who had 15 points in the fourth quarter, pulled Atlanta to one 95-94 with 3:03 left with two free throws after Bogut was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul on Smith’s drive to the basket. Atlanta turned the ball over on the ensuing possession.
Milwaukee closed out the game with a 10-2 run, started by Bogut’s tip-in basket and capped by Williams’ two free throws and a basket off a steal on an inbounds pass.
Smith had a driving layup and two free throws as Atlanta cut the deficit to 76-75 early in the fourth. Bobby Simmons hit a 3-pointer to stop the charge, but Smith’s layup got the Hawks back to two.
The Bucks seemed to be in charge when they pushed the lead to 68-53 on two free throws by Yi Jianlian with 7:11 left in the third quarter before the Hawks mounted a comeback with a 17-8 run to close out the period.
Smith started the run with a rebound and dunk, a 3-point play and a free throw. Josh Childress capped it with a wide-open 3-pointer from the deep corner with 0.1 seconds left to pull Atlanta to 76-70.
Notes: Smith had 12 of Atlanta’s 24 first-quarter points. ... The Hawks were without guards — rookie Acie Law (ankle) and Speedy Claxton (left knee). ... With the victory, the Bucks join the unbeaten Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons as the only teams with a perfect home record in the Eastern Conference. ... The Hawks lost their 15th game in the past 17 in Milwaukee. ... The Bucks’ bench had 19 points in the first half while Atlanta’s had eight.