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Johnson, Smith lead Hawks to easy win over Wizards
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ATLANTA — Joe Johnson scored 21 points, Josh Smith added 20 with 14 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Washington Wizards 116-96 on Thursday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Al Horford finished with 15 points and 13 boards for the Hawks, who won their 11th straight over Washington. They have lost seven of nine overall.

Gilbert Arenas scored 21 and Nick Young added 20 for the Wizards, who have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season and still seek their first road victory.

Washington rookie John Wall, the NBA's No. 1 overall draft pick, finished with 10 points, missing his first seven shots from the field and failing to score until his runner made it 69-50 midway through the third quarter.

The game's outcome was all but decided after Arenas' 3-pointer cut the lead to eight with 5 minutes left in the second. Over the next 18 minutes, Washington was outscored 51-22, a run that ended with three free throws by Jamal Crawford.

Washington was held to a season-low 18 points in the first quarter, a welcomed change for a Hawks team that trailed entering the second period in its last four games.

Smith gave the Hawks a 21-point lead midway through the third with a left-handed dunk. Atlanta coach Larry Drew called the play during a timeout, and Johnson responded with a perfectly placed alley-oop pass to Smith, who jumped past Wall for the jam near the right baseline.

Drew rested his starters in the fourth quarter. Wizards coach Flip Saunders did the same except for keeping Arenas in to work with some of Washington's younger players.

Wall, though, sat during the final period. Before returning as a reserve in an overtime win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, Wall missed four games with a sprained left foot.

Wizards forward Andray Blatche left the game in the third and didn't return after colliding with Smith on an offensive rebound attempt and getting poked in both eyes.

Young, who hit the winning shot against Philadelphia two nights previously, hit his first four shots from the field and finished 8 of 14.

Notes: Wizards F Al Thornton traveled with the team, but missed the game with a sprained left ankle. He left in the first half of Tuesday's overtime win over Philadelphia and didn't return. ... The Hawks improved to 86-42 in series home games. Atlanta has won six straight over Washington at Philips Arena.

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