NBA: Johnson, Hawks beat Blazers 99-95 in OT
ATLANTA — Joe Johnson scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and the Atlanta Hawks solved Portland's defense in time to beat the Trail Blazers 99-95 on Monday night.
The Hawks, who won at Portland on Nov. 3, swept the season series for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
Josh Smith had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Atlanta, which extended its winning streak to five with the victory in the matchup of division leaders.
Rudy Fernandez led Portland with 19 points, including a tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation. LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 and Brandon Roy added 17 for the Trail Blazers, who had won six straight games.
Johnson hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, each tying the score.
Johnson's drive with 14.8 seconds remaining in regulation gave Atlanta an 83-82 lead. He pushed the lead to three with two free throws, but Fernandez hit a fallaway 3 to send it to overtime, connecting over Al Horford.
The Hawks trailed by 12 in the third and by nine points, 67-58, entering the fourth.
Portland had won four straight road games, holding each opponent under 85 points, before falling to the Hawks in the last game of its trip.
The Hawks, held to a season-low 15 points in the third, regained their offensive momentum in the final period.
Horford, who sat out much of the first half with foul trouble, scored the first two baskets of the quarter to cut Portland's lead to 67-62.
Portland answered with two free throws by Andre Miller and a three-point play by Juwan Howard before Atlanta put together a 10-0 run. Johnson capped the surge with a 3-pointer, tying it at 72 with 6:13 remaining.
The Hawks were running and jamming early. Horford and Smith had back-to-back powerful jams in the first, but the Trail Blazers soon slowed the pace.
The Trail Blazers pushed the ball inside to Greg Oden in the opening minutes and quickly sent Horford to the bench. Horford drew his second with 3:08 remaining in the first quarter and did not return in the first half.
Horford's Florida Gators beat Oden and Ohio State to win the 2007 NCAA championship at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, adjacent to Philips Arena.
NOTES: F Travis Outlaw is out indefinitely and was not with the team after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot in Portland's win in Charlotte on Saturday. ... Horford had 15 points and 10 rebounds. ... Johnson had his 60th career game with 30 or more points. ... The Hawks are 5-0 at home. ... Atlanta had a 47-37 advantage in rebounds.
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